A rare example of bipartisanship on Capitol Hill last week. Senior Senators from both sides of the aisle worked together to pass a bill outlining sanctions on Iran. After many years of partisan bickering over what to do about Iran, this congressional unity on the issue can only be welcomed.

Foreign policy can be a rough game, dealing with serious issues that have wide-ranging repercussions for the entire international community. However, in spite of the grey clouds cast over the international system, there are still some silver linings to cling to. So here is a top 5 list of positive foreign policy positions to bring cheer to all those in favour of democratic geopolitics.

One battered, sorry year on, few but the most die-hard Obamaniacs would now concede that the Prophet Obama’s foreign policy has been anything other than an unmitigated disaster.

The fundamental (and I use that word in its proper sense) flaw of Obama’s foreign policy was a misguided assumption that his soaring rhetoric and Message of Reconciliation would sway autocrats in the same way as it has swayed the popular masses.

Now - at last - there is evidence that things might finally be a Changing...

Whilst no US President is without a busy agenda, Barack Obama's in-tray this last year has been particularly full - and the to do list for the next is likely to get longer not shorter. With such massive economic and domestic political issues on the Administration's agenda then, it is no surprise that last week's State of the Union Address was dominated by concerns close to home. This focus on domestic policy was understandable, but at a time of such great challenges abroad, what did President Obama have to say about his Administration's foreign policy? The answer: not much.

Hauntingly while the international community fixates on Haiti 500 preventable deaths in Nigeria have failed to register on their conscience. This argument is not against the moral obligation of the international community to act responsibly towards countries like Haiti. Rather it’s inability to act towards more than one crisis at a time. It is fair for this purpose to suggest that the lack of media attention on African issues (which is another subject) contributes to the lack of debate.

International aid donations to Haiti have dominated media headlines in recent weeks. Some donations have come from peculiar places that perhaps ought not to be contributing their money to the crisis. Is it reasonable to expect cash-strapped developing countries - who can barely if it all feed their own population to donate money? That being said some countries have found ways of offering help in unusual ways.

Angola has taken yet another turn towards totalitarianism. This week a ‘historic’ vote took place in the capital Luanda, one that will surely divide the nation in similar fashion to the way in which the civil war (1975-2002) did with similarly disastrous effects. President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos, who has ruled Angola for over three decades, and, subsequently making him Africa’s second longest serving leader, took striding steps to cement his position at the summit of Angolan politics.

The First Lady of Syria, Asma al-Assad, recently appeared to send a signal to the world that the ruling Ba’ath Party may be prepared to loosen it prohibitively tight grip on civil society in Syria. Words of this kind are neither new nor unique, and should not be taken by the West as a signal to ease pressure on the Ba'ath regime.

Trouble is brewing in Iraq. With only weeks to go before scheduled parliamentary elections on March 7th, over 500 candidates have been barred from standing by an 'independent' elections regulator. There is now a real danger that the elections - a crucial test of Iraq's progress since the end of the civil war that ravaged the country from 2003-2007 - will suffer from the same lack of legitimacy that has marred previous polls. It has to be welcomed then that the Obama Administration has sent one of its most senior figures to bang some heads together in Baghdad. It isn't welcome, however, that that senior figure is Vice-President Joe Biden. Especially when Obama has a much greater talent he could send.

On January 21, 2009, Hillary Rodham Clinton was sworn in as the 67th Secretary of State of the United States, only to have been trapped in the shadow of Barak Obama. However, there is perhaps one area where Clinton could truly have an impact and possible even be considered alongside the likes of Kissinger, Baker and Schultz; if she can succeed in incorporating disenfranchised women into the political, economic and social structures of those Islamic states that continue to exclude them from these processes then her legacy would be assured.

During her unsuccessful run for the Democratic nomination in 2008, Hillary Clinton positioned herself as the candidate who could be trusted on national security. Unlike her untried opponent, Hillary was the woman who could answer the ringing phone at 3am. Now it seems that Secretary Clinton is also the woman who can be trusted to tackle a troublesome googlemail account as well.

Massachusetts Senator-elect Scott Brown scored an incredible upset victory last night for the Republicans.  Winning the special election by a five point margin, Brown gained back a once-thought unattainable seat—one that has been in Democrat hands for 57 years.  And Kennedy hands no less. 

What’s got Democrats in a tizzy and Republicans thrilled about the victory is that the healthcare bill can now be filibustered by the 41st vote Brown will supply for the Republicans to block the reform.  For this reason, the media has called it a referendum on the Democrats’ healthcare reform efforts.

This is especially poignant because Massachusetts has been a trial state for government-run healthcare reform, adopted there in 2006.  Since then, Massachusetts residents have seen premiums rise not fall and little to no improvement in quality of care.  Perhaps the election could be taken as proof that Massachusetts residents wouldn’t wish such a failed, big government reform on the rest of the nation.  Still, this seems unlikely for a state which voted overwhelmingly for Obama and his healthcare promises that hopeful November.

The new US National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) report is expected to overturn the 2007 estimate, with America's intelligence community now believing that "Iran's nuclear program is well-advanced and moving toward the point at which a weapon could be built." It is important to remember the damage that the 2007 estimate had on international efforts to tackle Iran over its nuclear dishonesty.

Once again Hamid Karzai has failed to gain the approval of Afghan lawmakers for his proposed Cabinet. In a country wrought with accusations of corruption it is no wonder its parliament cannot come to an agreement on who is competent and trustworthy enough to represent and work for the Afghan people. So which is more important, establishing a cabinet that has the approval of parliament members, or establishing a cabinet as quickly as possible? Is the third time the charm? Will the President and the Parliament find enough common ground to appoint a Cabinet?

Last week at the Iraq War Inquiry, Alistair Campbell dispatched in one fell swoop suggestions that Tony Blair had mislead parliament over the issue of WMD’s, instead suggesting that ‘dishonest journalism’ was to blame.