Peace and Security
The Real Threat
Our President’s Word Wars
These days I find myself thinking often about a cartoon by the late Theodore Geissel. In it, a woman with a sweater that reads "America First" reads aloud from a storybook to two children: "And the Wolf chewed up the children and spit out their bones," she relays....
Trump on Cuba: If Obama Did It, It’s Bad
There's a lot to say about Trump reversing some of the Obama administration's policies on Cuba. The White House recently announced it was banning individual travel to the island and further restricting what business Americans can do there. Yes, there's a lot to say,...
Another Troop Surge in America’s Longest War
President Trump might have dodged military service in his youth, but he certainly is militaristic — he's bellicose, likes to issue commands, and is constantly firing off militant tweets at anyone he perceives to be an enemy (which seems to include everyone who dares...
Trump’s Twitter Bombs
Donald Trump missed his opportunity to become a General Patton-style military commander and glorious war hero back in the Vietnam era. He surely would've been the greatest in history, to hear him tell it. But, alas, he says some unspecified foot problem (or something...
The Problem with Dividing ‘Good Muslims’ from ‘Bad Muslims’
All right, America. We need to have a talk. The president recently returned from Saudi Arabia, where he gave his Muslim hosts a speech about the threats of "radical Islamist terrorism." Because Trump steered slightly clear of his usual vitriol toward Muslims — he's...
Is Trump Taking Us to War Everywhere?
No one ever expected Donald Trump to be a peace-loving president. On the campaign trail, he endorsed torture, said he'd bomb the families of alleged terrorists, and spoke gleefully about the president’s power to launch nuclear weapons. But threatening war with...
After the Chemical Attack, It’s Time to Get Rid of the ‘Muslim Ban’
When I saw footage of the alleged sarin gas attack in Syria, I felt ill. The whole episode, which killed up to 100 civilians in Syria’s Idlib province, was ghastly. But worst of all was the kids — glassy-eyed, discolored, and limp as their little bodies were carried...
Here’s What You Can Do for Middle East Peace
While news swirled around health care and climate rules last month, another potentially momentous development slipped through the cracks. It was the Senate's quiet confirmation of David Friedman to serve as the new U.S. ambassador to Israel. That vote threatens to...
Are You Watching Iraq? You Should Be.
In a desolated patch of Mosul, Iraq, people are still digging through the rubble. Rescuers wear masks to cover the stench, while anxious family members grow desperate about missing loved ones. The full story of what happened in the al-Jidideh neighborhood isn't yet...
