Understanding Obama’s Mideast Policy

by Charles Naas President Barack Obama’s Middle East policies can be described as bipartisan or even multi-factional since no one, liberal nor conservative, Republican nor Democrat, seems very understanding of nor totally satisfied with his actions or failures to take… Continue Reading

Disappointed in Almaty

by Charles Naas The second round of talks in Almaty, Kazakhstan between the P5+1 (the US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) and Iran ended just about where they started — no advance from the March talks and the glimmer of… Continue Reading

The US in the Middle East Today

by Charles Naas Not even a month in office, Secretary of State John Kerry took his first official trip to the troubled Middle East and immediately felt first-hand the pressures and metamorphosing power relationships in the region. He began his visit… Continue Reading

Embassy Safety: Learning from Mistakes in Tehran and Benghazi

by Charles Naas My dear friend and colleague, Henry Precht, in his discussion Wednesday about the sad path of US-Iran affairs in the last 30 years, did not mention that a day after his snowy trip to the State Department,… Continue Reading

Goodbye, Hillary — Hello, John; the Middle East Awaits You

by Charles Naas On the Washington Post’s front page February 2 there is a photo of Mrs. Clinton departing the State Department surrounded by admiring staff members with a big smile on her face. She already looks five years younger.… Continue Reading