Fooling many of the people, much of the time
“Hamas Drops Call for Israel’s Destruction,” headlined The Wall Street Journal last week. The New York Times told its readers: “Hamas Moderates Talk on Israel.” And...
Arabian Peninsula
The Face-Off
Donald Trump has promised a foreign policy of muscular retrenchment, in which a better-resourced U.S. military intimidates our enemies without serving as a global cop. More than any pr...
Op-eds
The Final Obama Scandal
Co-written by Stephen F. Hayes. Less than 24 hours before the official end of the Obama presidency, while White House staffers were pulling pictures off the walls and cle...
Op-eds
Hamza bin Laden calls for regime change in Saudi Arabia
Hamza bin Laden, Osama’s heir, calls on Muslims to overthrow the Saudi monarchy in a newly released audio message. The junior bin Laden’s speech was disseminated by As Sahab, al Qaeda...
Op-eds
Saudi Arabia Strikes Back
For those concerned about the fallout from President Barack Obama and his administration’s nuclear deal with Iran — the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Actio...
Op-eds
Iran Stirs Up More Trouble in the Gulf
Qassem Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ external operations wing the Quds Force, ...
Op-eds
What ISIS Is Banking On
As jihadist groups gain control of cities across the Middle East and Africa, preventing their access to the global financial system is increasingly critical to regulators. Anti-money laundering a...
Op-eds
The Mr. Rogers Doctrine
Barack Obama last week visited Saudi Arabia, an unusual nation with which the United States has had a relationship that can be accurately characterized as both strategic and strange — and o...
Op-eds
Saudi Clerics’ Rhetoric — and Implications for Global Security
President Barack Obama’s meeting Wednesday with King Salman of Saudi Arabia...
Op-eds
Iranian Weapons Smuggling in the Arabian Peninsula Continues
An American-led maritime coalition recently intercepted a fishing boat carrying weapons off the coast of Oman, according to news reports on Monday. U.S. officials...
Policy Briefs
Saudi Arabia targets alleged Hezbollah procurement agents
Saudi Arabia imposed sanctions&...
Op-eds
Victory Without Soldiers?
With the war in Syria becoming ever more complex and murderous, it’s worthwhile to revisit a guiding principle of Barack Obama: The use of American military power is likely to do more harm...
Op-eds
Mullah Omar’s Death Is A Big Blow To Al Qaeda—And A Win For ISIS
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has confirmed on his official Twitter account that Mullah Omar...
Op-eds
The Gulf Cooperation Council Camp David Summit: Any Results?
Chairman Ros-Lehtinen, Ranking Member Deutch, and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee: thank you on behalf of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies for the opportunity to testify before...
Congressional Testimonies
“Terrorism in Africa: The Imminent Threat to the United States”
Download full testimony here ...
Congressional Testimonies
Satrapy Fishing in the Yemen
Three years ago, film-goers were treated to “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen,” which critic Kenneth Turan called a “pleasant fantasy” about the Middle East. Today, of cou...
Op-eds
Why ‘Operation Decisive Resolve’ is the ultimate setback for Iran
Today’s Saudi-led international military intervention in Yemen, Operation Decisive Storm, is a decided setback for Iran’s regional ambitions. Officials in Tehran had been gloating abo...
Op-eds
Violent Extremist vs. Holy Warrior
Is Barack Hussein Obama wrong to avoid appending “Islamic,” “Muslim,” “Islamist,” or even “jihadist” to the terrorism that has struck the West with...
Op-eds
Saudi King Salman’s Audacious Power Play
“You deserve more.” That’s what Saudi Arabia’s new King Salman tweeted to his peopl...
Op-eds
New Saudi King Won’t Change a Thing
Don’t buy the hype. Saudi Arabia’s new king is not a reformer, and his first acts as ruler confirm he will continue the royal family’s tradition of beggar-thy-neighbor energy po...