New Yorker Writer, ex-Washington Post; Author of Rock the Casbah & 7 others; former fellow U.S. Institute of Peace, Brookings, Carnegie, Woodrow Wilson Center.
My @newyorker analysis "Why the US was never going to win the "war on terror." In the 25 yrs since 9/11, the U.S. has waged several military campaigns against extremism around the world. A million have died. Today, terror is enormously more complex and diffuse. Groups have adapted, migrated, fragmented and decentralized. newyorker.com/news/a-reporte…
Trump is ad-libbing "strategy" on Iran. My latest @NewYorker Yorker piece. Since launching Operation Epic Fury, Trump has proclaimed more than 30 times that the war has been won, is over, or is almost over. Instead, it is escalating. The US has now spent the first quarter century of the 21st century in hapless wars. newyorker.com/news/the-lede/…
Trump savors a fight, whether ringside at a UFC bout or on the world stage. My @Newyorker analysis of #Trump becoming belligerent (surprise, surprise) about #Iran and the @Pontifex Leo XIV. So much for the "peace presidency." newyorker.com/news/the-lede/…
My editorial today for The @newyorker: Where is the #IranWar headed? When I first went to #Iran 53 years ago, I could never have believed a war would erupt among two peoples who, underneath it all, had liked each other so much. newyorker.com/magazine/2026/…
"Iran's regime is unsustainable." My @NewYorker analysis based on 53 years of covering #Iran. Includes first-hand accounts (& reflections) on why the the theocracy is untenable long-term. newyorker.com/news/the-lede/…
"The Ambitious Aggression of #Trump 's 'Donroe Doctrine'." My latest in @NewYorker. President has failed to truly "end" any of the 8 wars he claims, has launched more airstrikes in 1 yr than Biden did in 4 yrs, and is threatening global order and US alliances--sometimes invoking vulgar language to do it. newyorker.com/news/the-lede/…
My @newyorker piece on whether Ayatollah @khamenei_ir and the Islamic republic can survive the military onslaught by US and #Israel. The outcome may be shaped more by #Iran’s culture and politics than by the military prowess of its opponents. newyorker.com/news/the-lede/…
"What is Israel's Endgame in Iran?" My @NewYorker piece on the challenges for all parties to achieve conclusive & enduring results in the escalating war--or subsequent diplomacy. newyorker.com/news/the-lede/…
"Torture and Tres Leches in Iran's most notorious prison." My piece in @thenewyorker about a haunting new book by a female dissident snuck out in scraps from inside Evin Prison in #Iran. newyorker.com/books/page-tur…
My @newyorker piece on Trump's combative pursuits at @thepanamacanal. Odd obsession since Panama has been a democracy & strategic ally since 1989. I crossed the canal last month to see for myself. newyorker.com/news/the-lede/…