Account
Published September 20, 2012
With an opportunity lost and a centuries-long record of failure, it is fair to ask whether democracy is even possible in the Middle East.
Published July 09, 2012
Despite President Ahmadinejad’s bluster, sanctions can work against Iran. Nevertheless, President Obama’s team has yet to contemplate the level of sanctions necessary to force Tehran to abandon its nuclear ambitions.
Published June 19, 2012
Egypt is at a crossroads. One path leads to civil chaos and another leads to dictatorship. As both sides delegitimize themselves, however, President Obama has a rare opportunity to pick up where President George W. Bush left off, and support the growth of new, democratic movements.
Published February 17, 2012
President Obama may believe he has embraced realism when it comes to Iran but he fails to recognize it in his adversaries: Iranian authorities make no secret that their primary national interest lays in becoming a nuclear power.
Published January 10, 2012
Iranian bluster is bad enough. When Tehran is able to put substance behind it, American interests will truly be in peril.
Published November 29, 2011
Tuesday's attack on the British compound in Teheran suggests that the Iranian government fears economic isolation much more than diplomatic isolation.
Published November 03, 2011
The United States, the Europe Union, and Israel may all share concerns regarding Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, but each has remarkably different threat assessments. And, at this point, neither Iran nor Israel believe President Obama to be credible when it comes to sanctions.
Published October 12, 2011
More than 30 years after the Islamic Revolution, Iran remains a black hole for American analysts. Only when American analysts are able to fill in the blanks about the country will President Obama or his successors be able to craft a strategy which can truly counter the Iranian threat and protect American national security interests.
Published September 06, 2011
Diplomacy can never supplant the importance of military victory. President Obama may want to bring the troops home, but the diplomacy-first strategy hampers peace. As the history of drinking tea with the Taliban shows, talk is not only cheap; it is deadly.
Published August 18, 2011
In Egypt's revolution, President Hosni Mubarak's downfall marks not the beginning of the end, but rather the end of the beginning. Decisions made now will reverberate for decades. The White House should use its leverage to ensure not only free elections in Egypt, but also those which ensure the checks and balances necessary for democracy.