Middle East/North African News & Analysis

The Insecure Leading the Confused: Public Opinion and Settlement Policy In Israel

Trying to answer if and how Israeli public opinion effects settlement policy is a tough question to answer and does not yield clear answers, yet the pursuit of those elusive answers is still very illuminating and worthwhile. Originally published on ...

I (Still) Hate Trump, But He Was Right to Strike Assad Regime of Syria Before & He Should Do It Again

Trump is still a danger to America and the world. But if he exercises American power in a way that will help save lives and give a brutal tyrant and his backers pause in their relentless, murderous assault on the ...

Trump’s Jerusalem Jeopardy: A Hackneyed “Holy” Hot Mess

America’s president did something stupid concerning Jerusalem. Cue predictably stupid reactions. Originally published on LinkedIn Pulse December 11, 2017 By Brian E. Frydenborg (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter@bfry1981) December 11th, 2017 Photo by author AMMAN — More often than not, the situation ...

I Hate Trump, But He Was Right to Strike Assad Regime of Syria

Trump is still a danger to America and the world. But if he exercises American power in a way that will help save lives and give a brutal tyrant and his backers pause in their relentless, murderous assault on the ...

What We Can Expect from Trump & My Message to Iranians on Trump: Prove Him Wrong by Fighting for Peace & Human Rights

The Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA) conducted another interview with me (see previous one here) a few weeks ago about both what both Americans and the world can expect from Trump, and about U.S. relations with Iran in the Trump ...

9/11 Marked Continuation, Not Beginning, of Politicization of Foreign Policy & National Security

Rather than signify any beginning of weaponizing foreign policy and national security in politics, the 9/11 attacks simply marked the next stage in the progression of Republicans breaking a general Cold War trend of bipartisanship and moderation when it came ...

Erdogan Leads Turkey’s Democracy on a Populist Death March After Failed Coup

In my previous piece on Turkey, written as the coup attempt was underway, I noted that should the coup fail, Erdoğan would simply accelerate Turkish democracy's death march he had already put in motion for some time. Sadly, things have ...

The Definitive Battle for the Soul of Turkey & Its Future Is Happening Right Now & It Is This Coup

...Is Happening Right Now & It Is This Coup This military coup is the defining moment for post-Cold War Turkey. Whatever happens here, the trajectory of Turkey for decades to come will be set: an emerging dictatorship under the increasingly ...

America Staring into Abyss of Racial Terrorism After Shootings; Up to White America if USA Falls in, Sees Israeli-Palestinization of Race Relations

After events in Baton Rouge, LA, Falcon Heights, MN, and Dallas, TX, America—in particular white America—sorely needs to take stock of its current crisis in race relations. If it fails to do so, it risks falling into a cycle of ...

Clinton Foundation: Time for Truth About Its Work

Even if you hate the Clintons, there's no denying the spectacular amount of charitable work the Clinton Foundation has done and the millions of lives it has improved, even saved. Despite a disinformation campaign, there is no doubt about the ...

Orlando Terror Sad Reminder of Rise of Hate & Violence in World & West

Violence and hate feed each other, as the violence in the Middle East shows; the West must be careful not to play into the cycle of violence and hate feeding each other, and whether or not we do is up ...

Trump Foreign Policy Speech Latest Example of GOP Bankruptcy in Foreign Policy Ideas, Competence

A detailed examination of Trump's foreign policy speech from a few weeks ago reveals how little substantive thought or ideas the candidate, the Republican Party, and it voters have when it comes to foreign policy. Contradictory and confusing, Trump showed ...