February 2, 2013 The Mideast is stumbling into one of its most dangerous crisis in decades.  I’m just back from the region – and as an old Mideast hand,  I am very worried. This region is always tense, but right now a series of separate conflicts are rapidly beginning to […]


September 30, 2012 NEW YORK –  Hell week! That’s what this city’s angry, frustrated taxi drivers call each year’s opening of the United Nations.  It was even worse than that in the last two weeks. Narrow, congested island of Manhattan became a nightmare of gridlocked traffic, blocked streets, blaring horns […]


September 14, 2012 The British used to call it the “cost of Empire:” occasional attacks on Her majesty’s troops and legations by enraged, sword and spear-wielding natives. Imperial troops would be rushed in and quickly put down the uprisings. In the 1920’s, Winston Churchill authorized the use of poison gas […]