Truth Has Finally Defeated Fear
Thank you President Trump. Thank you for understanding what so many refused to confront. Thank you for doing what generations of leaders hesitated to attempt. Thank you for exposing the dark machinery that has shaped the Middle East’s tragedies for far too long. I write as someone from an Arab and Muslim country, someone who […]
Beijing Rewrites the Story of Taiwan
Over the past several years, China’s information warfare capabilities have grown by leaps and bounds as Beijing has tapped into the disinformation expertise of its longstanding strategic partner, Russia. The results could be seen in the veritable “axis of disinformation” that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, as Russia and China (together with Iran) shared narratives […]
A Pipeline to Success: Central Asia’s Strategic Opportunity
It’s time to go big in Central Asia. The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline holds promise to reshape Central and South Asia for decades to come. For the United States, linking Turkmenistan’s vast gas reserves to the growing energy needs of South Asia is imperative to counter Russian and Chinese influence. For over 30 years, this gas […]
Reforming the Department of State: A Vision for an Elite, Agile Diplomatic Corps
The United States possesses the world’s most powerful military, the largest economy, and the most admired culture. Yet, for decades, thoughtful observers have noted a quiet paradox: our diplomatic influence has not kept pace with our hard power. In an era defined by strategic competition with China, Russian revanchism, renewed war in Europe, and Iranian-sponsored […]
Can Europe Go It Alone?
Under the Trump administration, which entered office in January 2025, the United States has spurned, or at least attenuated, international democracy promotion, close Euro-Atlantic coordination and direct material support for Ukraine. As a result, there is increasing discussion about Europe’s new role not only in defending Ukraine, but also in dealing with autocracies and other […]
The Unquiet Last Years of Naguib Mahfouz
Preface Naguib Mahfouz (1911-2006) became the Arab world’s first Nobel Laureate in Literature in 1988. His 34 novels include the Cairo Trilogy (Palace Walk, Palace of Desire, and Sugar Street) and his dozens of movie scripts number among the top films of the Arab cinema. In addition, his essays were featured in the main Arabic newspapers of […]
New York’s Zohran Mamdani and Chile’s Gabriel Boric
When he took office as Chile’s president in early 2022, the youthful Gabriel Boric was hailed internationally as the refreshing new face of progressive politics But he is concluding a four-year term as a battered figure; polls indicate his successor will come from Chile’s right. Boric’s trajectory may serve as a cautionary tale for the […]
The View Over the Yarmouk River, An Israeli Reserve Officer on the Israel-Syria border
As part of my army reserve service, I belong to a unit that is holding a sector opposite Syria and defending the State of Israel’s territory on the northern border. The scenery can only be described as breathtaking. The deep, carved Rokad River meets the Yarmouk River in a tri-border area, creating a magical, peaceful […]
Confronting the Muslim Brotherhood: A Practical Roadmap for the Trump Administration
Ten months into his second term, President Donald Trump has reshaped much of the Middle East’s political landscape. His team helped steady a fragile calm in Gaza, revived coordination among key Arab and Israeli partners, and signaled a broader plan to check Iranian influence. The growing Arab-Israeli security cooperation that emerged from the Abraham Accords […]
The United States as an Offshore Balancer
Americans’ frustration with recent failures abroad, combined with looming challenges in Europe, East Asia, and the Middle East, have inspired a search for a new framework for American foreign policy. The suggestion has emerged that the United States could learn from the guiding principle of British foreign policy for several centuries until 1945 – offshore […]
Africa’s Twin, Connected Crises
Nigeria’s attacks on its Christian community and Sudan’s collapse are not isolated crises. They are chapters of the same story: the erosion of deterrence and the testing of the liberal world’s resolve by Muslim Brotherhood networks. Nigeria Northern Nigeria has become the epicenter of an underreported atrocity, a coordinated effort to erase a faith community […]
Kurdistan Between Tehran and Ankara
Wedged between Turkey and Iran, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq has become a crossroads of two competing regional orders. As Iran’s axis of resistance frays under economic strain and regional backlash, Tehran is scrambling to reinforce its influence through coercive diplomacy and the creation of a new strategic corridor to the Mediterranean. At the same […]
