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 […]


August 17, 2012 Summer silly season is upon us. First, three girls from the Russian punk band Pussy Riot are on trial in Moscow for the heresy of mocking Vlad Putin and the Orthodox Church. Second, a Swedish public relations firm dropped teddy bears over Belarus, making fun of its […]


June 15, 2012 NEW YORK – America’s most vital national security concern is to maintain calm, productive relations with Russia. The reason is obvious: Russia and the United States have thousands of nuclear warheads targeted on each other. Many are ready to launch in minutes. Compared to this threat, all […]