Dubai must crack down on rampant smuggling, and the U.A.E. federal government has significantly stepped up pressure.

For the entire first term, Obama and his people blamed Bush for everything - which is another way of saying they felt Bush and the Bush years were the inescapable reference point for everything they were themselves doing.

Persecution of Christians is growing around the world, and Congress needs to pay more attention to it.

Dubai must crack down on rampant smuggling, and the U.A.E. federal government has significantly stepped up pressure.

What does 'politicizing intelligence' mean? Using intel, or more often, partial intel, to produce an effect in line with White House policies rather than giving a full picture of a particular situation.

Oil policy, policy toward the United States, policy toward Iran, Bahrain, Yemen, very unlikely, I think, to see significant change. These policies were the policies that had a wide family consensus. The question I think would be if the king becomes sick, whether you have weak Saudi leadership in the Arab world and the Middle East rather than strong Saudi leadership, but I think the fundamental policies will continue, the ones we’re familiar with under King Abdullah.

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned, it seems, to direct the Middle East policy of the Obama administration.