Trump’s National Security Advisor: A Troubling Appointment

by Emile Nakhleh President-elect Trump’s appointment of Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn will likely create a Kafkaesque situation that Trump himself will find unmanageable. Questions surrounding the appointment could hamper the president’s plans to pursue his policy initiatives and will… Continue Reading

Putin’s Unclenching Fist

by Eldar Mamedov When Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the nation in his annual state of the union speech on December 1, he mostly focused on internal economic and social issues. But he also sent several important messages to the… Continue Reading

Deputy NSC Advisor Pick McFarland: Treat Middle Easterners Like Kids

by Derek Davison On Friday, Donald Trump’s transition team announced that Fox News national security analyst Kathleen Troia McFarland will serve as his Deputy National Security Advisor, working under National Security Advisor–designate Michael Flynn. McFarland previously served on Gerald Ford’s… Continue Reading

Foreign Policy in an Ignorant Democracy

by Paul R. Pillar Amid the voluminous post-election analysis based on exit polls, and the many observations about such things as how Hillary Clinton fared compared to Barack Obama among blacks or women, one demographic pattern sticks out at least… Continue Reading

Trump and the Middle East: A Primer

by Emile Nakhleh Middle East leaders and publics, like the rest of the world, were stunned by the election results and the ascendance of Donald J. Trump to the White House. Middle East autocrats, like those elsewhere in the world,… Continue Reading