An Arabic student and Middle East scholar

13 years ago

The Middle East Institute, where I studied Arabic through several levels to little avail, has kindly taken me on as…

Serbia visits Sarajevo

13 years ago

Yesterday Danas, a Belgrade daily, published this interview with me by Matja Stojanovic and Snezana Congradin: 1. [Serbian] President Tadic…

Has Obama done right on Afghanistan?

13 years ago

Michael Cohen and I had a go-round on Bloggingheads about Afghanistan:

Part 3: can Iraq become and remain a democracy?

13 years ago

Invited to speak to the U.S. intelligence community about the prospects for democracy in Iraq, I prepared a paper that…

Part 2: can Iraq become and remain a democracy?

13 years ago

Invited to speak to the U.S. intelligence community about the prospects for democracy in Iraq, I prepared a paper that…

Oil stock draw is not a good idea

13 years ago

President Obama today decided to draw down 30 million barrels of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), the White House claims…

Part 1: can Iraq become and remain a democracy?

13 years ago

Invited to speak to the U.S. intelligence community about the prospects for democracy in Iraq, I prepared a paper that…

Have your cake and eat it too

13 years ago

The President went for the bigger, faster drawdown option in his speech this evening.  I commented on The World. He…

It’s the mission, smarty

13 years ago

Foreign policy eyes and ears will be on the President's Afghanistan speech tonight.  But I fear the President will focus…

Confusing, and disturbing

13 years ago

Colum Lynch reports yesterday that Sudan seems to be pursuing peace in one province even as it opts for war…