Policy Today

New York Congressman Eliot Engel's international relations experience is both broad and deep. Arriving on the Hill before the fall of the Berlin Wall, he has seen our foreign policy evolve from “Cold War” to “peace dividend” and now into the “War on Terror.” PT talked at length with the Congressman about the shifting contours of our foreign policy and what we can do better.

PT: Over your time in Washington, how have the dynamics of the debate shifted with respect to foreign policy? For example, what was that interim period like—between the fall of the Berlin Wall and September 11th? In the absence of a "foil," what brought cohesion to so many disparate policies?

Engel: I think there was less controversy. During the Cold War era, there was a debate between those with str...