Congress found a provisionary compromise but will have to reconsider the federal budget in January. What's the likely outcome? By Laurence nardon, head of the United States Program at IFRI. 

Domestic policy remains Obama's focus and strongsuit while foreign policy has emerged as the administration's weakest and most deceptive area. Obama has proved measured yet hesitant, pragmatic yet reactive. Latin America and Africa are far from his radar. The relationship with Russia remains complicated. Washington has failed to exert influence over israel. In the Arab world, the U.S. abandoned former ally Mubarak and floundered in Syria. The U.S. will leave Afghanistan at the end of 2014 without fixing a thing. The relationship with Europe is far from harmonious. Only the rapproachment with the new Iranian president reveals a new and more ambitious approach to foreign policy. Only the U.S.'s diverse relationship with Asia remains to be seen.  

The world watches with weariness and disbelief as another American psychodrama unfolds. The government shutdown isn't but American, and by extension global, dysfunction's most recent manifestation. 

Moscow just informed Washington of its plan to control Syrian chemical weapons. The Russians and Americans will discuss the effort tomorrow in Geneva. The French proposition now seems overlooked. But much like Paris, Barack Obama still wields the threat of strikes if Damascus refuses to play along.