by Amb. Chas W. Freeman, Jr., (USFS, Ret.) Senior Fellow, the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Brown University 6 April 2017, Providence, Rhode Island “With appreciation for the assistance of the American Academy of Diplomacy <academy@academyofdiplomacy.org> we offer … Continued

by Alison Hodgkins Amid all the controversy over North Korea, Russia, NAFTA, and the Paris Accords, one could argue that President Trump’s continued vacillation over the location of the US mission to Israel is the sole conventional aspect of his … Continued

by David T. Jones There seems to be a new truth that whoever starts a column about Afghanistan, adds the descriptive phrase, “Our longest war.” Or words to that effect. One is not exactly sure why the writers seek to … Continued

Review by Jon Dorschner Jihad as Grand Strategy (Islamist Militancy, National Security, and the Pakistani State) by S. Paul Kapur, Oxford University Press: New York, 2017, ISBN 978-0-19-976852-3, 177 pp., $39.95 (Hardcover). Although the United States was a long-term patron … Continued

Washington Post Worldviews Analysis Turkey’s complicated relationship with the Middle East, explained by one word By Soner Cagaptay and Nick Danforth September 2, 2017 Reprinted by Permission: click here for article.

by Margo Berends Although Aleppo is now under the control of forces supporting the Syrian government and the city has been evacuated, it is but one city and the Syrian crisis is far from over. Millions have been displaced by … Continued

by Abdallah Al Dardari Aleppo is a landmark in the Syrian conflict and has become the strongest signal of the failure of the western approach to diplomacy and other means of influence to end the conflict. This failure calls for … Continued

  http://www.unc.edu/depts/diplomat/item/2013/0912/ca/pickering_beyond.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6Yy8Qc_KbU Interview: Ambassador Thomas Pickering at George Washington University  12/2013 Intro: Despite a VERY rough transcript, this interview with one of the State Department’s greats is well worth the slog. Better yet, listen to the audio. Thomas Pickering … Continued

by Jason Cooley Introduction Following the September 11th terrorist attacks, the United States government embarked on a campaign to weaken the Islamic extremist organizations that were present in the world. Some of the steps that this lone superpower took to … Continued

by Dr. Morris M. Mottale, Professor of International Relations and Comparative Politics, Chair, Department of Political Science at Franklin University Switzerland Abstract. This article analyzes the origins of Iranian foreign policy since the 1979 Islamic revolution and the ability of … Continued

by David Avital and Marc Engberg Russian President Vladimir Putin recently stated that the U.S. lacks a coherent Syria policy and is instead adopting a “wait and see” approach which will not help to resolve the Syrian civil war. His … Continued

by Edward Marks and Robert Cox No quick fix is on offer for the great geopolitical turmoil in the Middle East. Laying its demons to rest will be a long haul requiring guns and classical diplomacy as well as social … Continued

by Laurent ChalardThe beginning of the year 2011 was the theater of two revolutions in the Arab world, in Tunisia first, then in Egypt, that nobody forecasted. They seemed to be a great surprise for most experts and politicians studying … Continued

by Amb. Thomas E. McNamara (ret.)Introduction It does not take a “foreign policy wonk” to notice that U.S. global influence today is weaker than at any time since the end of World War II. There are many reasons for this, … Continued

by Benjamin L. Landis It is apparent without further explanation that the world of Islam from the shores of the Atlantic to the extremities of the Indian Ocean is today in tumult. The causes for these chaotic conditions are rooted … Continued

Reviewed by Norvell DeAtkine

By Ambassador (Ret) Thomas Pickering Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05E2_Vkt5KI&list=UUPssYbwV8FFSw_ZbhBV5X3Q Review by Michael W. Cotter The Richard N. Krasno Distinguished Professorship in History & International Affairs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, now held by Professor Klaus Larres, hosts a … Continued

by Curt Jones  As a geopolitical region, the Middle East generates a never-ending power struggle for overall hegemony. That objective has never been achieved by a single contender. The Caliphate came closest. From the death of Muhammad in 632, the … Continued

By Marc Ginsberg, former U.S. Foreign Service Officer and Ambassador to Morocco http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amb-marc-ginsberg/so-mr-president-you-want_b_4811380.html Reviewed by Norvell DeAtkine This article is particularly timely, not so much because it is about the still festering Syrian tragedy, but because in the light of … Continued

by Sol Schindler Because of Secretary Kerry’s perseverance and industry we shall soon see three international conferences underway, all attempting to pacify different corners of the Middle East. Those of us who have run laps around those corners these last … Continued