Carol J Williams

Carol J. Williams is a retired foreign correspondent with 30 years' reporting abroad for the Los Angeles Times and Associated Press. She has reported from more than 80 countries, with a focus on USSR/Russia and Eastern Europe.

Russian Opposition Leader Navalny Headed for Prison — and Martyrdom

“I have deeply offended him simply by surviving the assassination attempt that he ordered” -- Alexei Navalny said of Putin at his hearing.

Demonstrations: Russian Opposition Claims Efforts to Depose Putin May Work This Time

“As history shows, most dictatorships fall not under the power of their opponents but under the weight of their own mistakes. It seems that Putin's will not be an exception.” -- Vladimir Kara-Murza in the Washington Post opinion section

Trump Ordered Close of Last Two US Consulates in Russia — Now a Fight to keep them Open

"The closure of all U.S. consulates in Russia would appear a U.S. retreat and capitulation to the diplomatic visa pressures applied by elements of the Russian government.” -- Derek Norberg, president of the Seattle-based Council for U.S.-Russia Relations

Insurrections I’ve Seen (But Never Dreamed Could Happen Here)

Trump’s deployment of riled-up supporters to attack the heart of elected government reminded me of late Venezuela President Hugo Chavez, whose virulent campaign of “Chavismo” lured the poor and disenfranchised to attack an oil-rich market economy from within, leading to the authoritarian-ruled basket case that exists today.

Pre-Brexit Glimpse of Post-Brexit Chaos Breaks Deal Stalemate

“The sudden sense of being cut adrift from the bloc – and from the world at large – felt like a bitter taste of what might be to come.” -- A New York Times dispatch from London

Brexit Deadline: A Looming Crash

Much of the envisioned UK-EU trade treaty is already in a draft of 600-plus pages, with three areas of disagreement holding up its conclusion. Those few stumbling blocks, however, are deeply embedded in Britain’s disaffection with an alliance it considers a constraint on British sovereignty.

Welcome Back? America’s Challenges in Rejoining the World Community

The U.S. image as a reliable ally and partner in global matters from health to arms control to human rights and democracy has suffered serious blows over the past four years of Trump’s transactional attitude toward security, trade and globalism.

Okay, So Trump Wasn’t Brutish. But…

Trump's pressing of his distorted view of dystopian America likely did little to capture those few undecided voters exhausted by four years of conflict and chaos.

October Surprise? A White House in Disarray as Security Concerns Mount

“This president’s failure to manage the Covid-19 pandemic effectively, his failure to reduce the dire economic impacts, and his propensity to inflame rather than heal the deep divisions in this country have all contributed to a perception, among allies and adversaries alike, of an America that is in crisis, if not decline,” Michele Flournoy, former undersecretary for defense, in an interview with The New Yorker.

WA Gov Debate: Inslee Versus the Fringe

I doubt most Washingtonians were persuaded that god and guns will protect them from the worst public health crisis in a century.

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