Trump and the Russians

Donald Trump’s Anti-Russian Agenda, Newsday, May 22, 2017. "Politically, no story is hotter than the one about Donald Trump and the Russians. Last week’s appointment of a special counsel to investigate Russian interference in the election keeps the story alive. But abroad, President Trump hasn’t helped the Russians. In fact, he’s opposed them."

On The Need To Control Territory

"ISIS' True Weakness," Newsday, October 21, 2016, "The start of an Iraqi and Kurdish offensive to liberate Mosul is a milestone in the defeat the so-called Islamic State. But winning the fight will be hard, and winning the peace far harder. Brutal though ISIS undoubtedly is, Mosul’s residents understandably don’t trust their would-be liberators."

The Next Steps in Syria

War in Syria Is Lost . . . Now Let’s Look to Future, Yorkshire Post, March 14, 2016. "I am all in favour of valiant resistance. And if your national survival is at stake, you don’t quit. But most wars aren’t like that. When you’re beaten, you need to recognise it, and start thinking about how to redeem your loss. We’ve lost the war in Syria. The question now is what we do next."

The World's Most Boring Title, Not Selected by Me

Three Things to Watch For in 2016, Newsday, January 3, 2016. "The trick in life isn’t to know the answers: it’s to ask the right questions. At the end of 2014, I asked three questions about 2015 that I believed would shape the year. Columnists are too rarely held responsible for their work, so, in the name of accountability, here were my questions for 2015, with new ones for 2016." The new questions are on the world economy, Russia, and Iran.

Who Do We Want to Win?

Which Side is Obama on in Mideast?, Newsday, April 18, 2015. "Every war poses a basic question: Whom do you want to win? After six years, the Obama administration's answer to that question in the Middle East is hopelessly confused."

On Recognizing Friends and Enemies

Conservatives and Liberals Need to Rethink Their Mideast Priorities, Newsday, March 22, 2015. "In the wake of Benjamin Netanyahu's victory in Israel, American leaders -- both conservatives and liberals -- should rethink their approach to the Middle East. Conservatives need to recognize more clearly who our enemies are; liberals need to learn to recognize our friends."

The Cardinal Rule of Foreign Policy

In the Middle East, Let’s Support Our Friends, Newsday, February 8, 2015, "King Abdullah II of Jordan is angry. In a meeting with members of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, he quoted Clint Eastwood in promising retribution against the Islamist radicals who burned a Jordanian pilot to death. He wants our support. He should get it."

In Syria, If It's Worth Doing, It's Worth Doing Poorly

In Syria, Obama Calls on the J.V. Team, Newsday, September 20, 2014. "While the president called the Islamists the junior varsity team in January, it's obvious that they are professionals at murder. I hate to be rude about the Syrian rebels, who are risking their lives. But it's not the Islamists who are the JV squad: it's our guys. That's why they need training. So the new plan is much the same as the old plan. It relies on others to do the dirty work and promises more than it can deliver. Unfortunately, the motto of the administration's approach to Syria has not changed: If a thing is worth doing, it's worth doing poorly."

A Rectification of Names

Call the Islamic State Murderers Instead, Newsday, September 8, 2014. "The murderers of journalists Steven Sotloff and James Foley call themselves the Islamic State. And commentators reliably repeat that name. That's wrong -- and dangerous."

The Enemy of Our Enemy . . . Is Our Enemy

In the Middle East, An Avalanche of Disasters, Newsday, June 27, 2014. "The past weeks have brought an avalanche of disasters for the United States in the wider Middle East. Unless the Obama administration changes course, the coming months will bring worse."