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Browse: Home » Middle East » Page 6
Turkey Could Be the Middle East’s Powder Keg

Turkey Could Be the Middle East’s Powder Keg

June 10, 2013 · by Patrick Smith · in Articles, The Fiscal Times

Maybe it had to come to this, given that Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey’s bullheaded, probably corrupt prime minister, heads an Islamist government in a nation far down the road to secularism. Erdoğan has lately limited the sale of alcohol and put…

The Diminishing Role of the U.S. in the Middle East

The Diminishing Role of the U.S. in the Middle East

December 3, 2012 · by Patrick Smith · in Articles, The Fiscal Times

You knew something important was afoot when Israel and Hamas, the group that governs the Gaza Strip, agreed to a ceasefire in their missile-trading conflict ten days ago. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton did not broker this deal, as an…

3 Foreign Hotspots that Will Test Obama’s Mettle

3 Foreign Hotspots that Will Test Obama’s Mettle

November 12, 2012 · by Patrick Smith · in Articles, The Fiscal Times

The “four more years” now stretching out in front of our forty-fourth president will be dense with challenges overseas, and meeting them will be essential if America is to regain a competitiveness already slipping. It would be hard to list…

Sanctions: Will Iran Redouble Its Nuclear Efforts?

Sanctions: Will Iran Redouble Its Nuclear Efforts?

January 16, 2012 · by Patrick Smith · in Articles, The Fiscal Times

Iranian oil, American diplomacy, and Asian economic power combined last week to yield a highly unstable, potentially combustible cocktail. The American economy and the financial markets have much to be thankful for so far in 2012, particularly as we look…

The ‘Arab Spring’ Can Help Cut Defense Spending

The ‘Arab Spring’ Can Help Cut Defense Spending

June 16, 2011 · by Patrick Smith · in Articles, The Fiscal Times

If we want to bring our unconscionably wasteful defense spending under control, the place to start is with a fundamentally re-imagined foreign policy that does not require a trillion-dollar military. President Obama’s recent pledge of $2 billion in response to…

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Writer, commentator, longtime newspaper and magazine correspondent abroad. Writes often on Europe and Asia. Published five books.

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  • PATRICK LAWRENCE: History Turned in Beijing May 18, 2026
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  • “Dignity in a West Bank refugee camp.” May 16, 2026

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