Middle East/North African News & Analysis

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The West’s Humanitarian Response to Ukraine Should Inspire Repetition, Not Envy

What a brief comparison between today’s aid work in Ukraine and efforts during Iraq’s Battle of Mosul against ISIS can teach us (Russian/Русский перевод coming soon) By Brian E. Frydenborg (Twitter @bfry1981, LinkedIn, Facebook), August 9, 2022 People offer rooms ...
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Athena statue

On Christianity, Ancient Rome, History, and Memory: A Christmas Season Reflection

A review of The Darkening Age: The Christian Destruction of the Classical World (by Catherine Nixey, Mariner Books, 2017 hc/2019 pb, 358 pages) By Brian E. Frydenborg, December 26, 2021 (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter @bfry1981) The New York Times SILVER SPRING—As ...
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9/11, Afghanistan, and the “War on Terror”: The Long View (& the Tragic One)

Osama bin Laden’s plan was clearly to get to the U.S. to overreact and play into his hands; long after his death, his plan succeeded beyond his imagination not because of him, but because of America’s choices and behavior. Yet ...
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Wading into Israel and Palestine Quicksand, Biden Offers a Diplomacy 101 Class for All

Biden pretty much nailed it with his efforts to achieve a cease-fire, but his critics miss the big picture and do not understand how diplomacy works By Brian E. Frydenborg (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter @bfry1981) May 27, 2021; also published May ...
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Rockets and Iron Dome

Death, Stupidity; Rinse, Repeat: What Is New, What Is Old in Latest Israeli-Palestinian Tragedy

A sick twist in the current cycle of violence stems from the natural outcomes of the repeated past cycles of fighting and perpetuation of the extremist behavior and policies causing them By Brian E. Frydenborg (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter @bfry1981) May ...
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The Iran Natanz Attack Sorta Happened in Star Wars: The Clone Wars (and in a way instructive for us all!)

Two Star Wars: The Clone Wars episodes with surprising resonance for the Middle East and the conflict involving Iran, Israel, and America provide solid lessons on conflict and diplomacy By Brian E. Frydenborg (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter @bfry1981) April 15, 2021; ...
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FT coronavirus chart updated

Why the Coronavirus Pandemic and America’s Disastrous Response Will Inspire Future Use of Bioweapons

Excerpt 3 of 5, adapted to stand alone, from a May 26, 2020 SPECIAL REPORT on coronavirus By Brian E. Frydenborg (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter @bfry1981) 1-A Brief, Non-Comprehensive Survey of Bioweapons, Biowarfare, and Bioterrorism History in Light of the Coronavirus Pandemic 2-America’s History ...
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America’s History of Failure in Unconventional and Asymmetric Warfare Is Instructive for Our War with the Coronavirus

Excerpt 2 of 5, adapted to stand alone, from a May 26, 2020 SPECIAL REPORT on coronavirus By Brian E. Frydenborg (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter @bfry1981) 1-A Brief, Non-Comprehensive Survey of Bioweapons, Biowarfare, and Bioterrorism History in Light of the Coronavirus Pandemic 3-Why the ...
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FT coronavirus chart updated

Coronavirus Exposes U.S. As Unprepared for Biowarfare & Bioterrorism, Highlighting Traditional U.S. Weakness in Unconventional, Asymmetric Warfare

SPECIAL REPORT By Brian E. Frydenborg (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter @bfry1981) May 26, 2020 PDF report version of this article here. The eBook version, Coronavirus the Revealer: How the Coronavirus Pandemic Exposes America As Unprepared for Biowarfare & Bioterrorism, Highlighting Traditional ...
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Trump Soleimani

Iran, America, Poor Leadership, and the Thucydides Trap

Rather than fear, terrible decisions made in arrogance and without reflection may have made war inevitable By Brian E. Frydenborg (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter @bfry1981) January 5, 2020 Here is the unedited version of an article published today by Al Bawaba where major edits drastically ...
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Bibi’s Trump Show: How Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Wins by Imitating the Donald

As Israel votes today, it’s time to pause and ponder just how bad a sign Netanyahu’s aping of Trump is for the state of Israel’s politics By Brian E. Frydenborg (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter@bfry1981) September 17th, 2019 Ofer Vaknin CAMBRIDGE — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin ...
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On Bourdain Day, His Life a Reminder to All that Anyone Can Speak Up for the Marginalized, Bring People Together

On his birthday, let's remember what why we all loved Anthony Bourdain: because he showed us how to love each other no matter who we are, a lesson of the highest importance in these increasingly uncivil times By Brian E ...
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