From religion to politics, a steady isolation of Saudi Arabia

Read this article translated into Indonesian and French. In the waning days of August, 200 or so Sunni clerics and scholars from Egypt, Continue reading →

US presidential elections: A view from the Middle East

Although the era of US global hegemony is coming to a close, the Middle East – more than most regions Continue reading →

Interview: Mideast alliances shift as regional balance alters

In January, I was interviewed by the conservative Iranian publication Javan about the shifting balance of power in the Levant and Persian Gulf. Continue reading →

The Syrian opposition circus comes to town

This article was originally published on RT’s Op-Edge on December 22, 2015 In January, the Syrian government will – ostensibly Continue reading →

In France, whiplash from rotten Syria policy

This article was first published on November 23, 2015 on the website of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Let’s not Continue reading →

Rinse and repeat: 82 new US-trained Syrians prepare for fight

A US military source has revealed in private conversation that the US-led Coalition formed to target the Islamic State (IS) Continue reading →

In Yemen, and Middle East, U.S. Needs to Learn When to Quit

This essay is part of a New York Times opinion-page debate on whether “Yemen is America’s fight.” Six years before Continue reading →

Will Yemen kick-off the “War of the Two Blocs?”

There is a lot of media confusion about what is going on in Yemen – and the broader Middle East Continue reading →