January 14, 2020 Philip C Johnson http://www.globalnext.org Written from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia It started with an intelligence report that indicated the Iran’s militias were going to attack U.S. embassies abroad. Or did it start with U.S. President Donald Trump taking an opportunity to hit back at the Iranians because of Iranian aggression that killed a … Continue reading Iran’s Mistake
June 16, 2019 Philip C. Johnson, Ph.D. http://www.globalnext The last days of Global Next’s 2018-2019 season has come to a close with an incredible conference in Israel with a beautiful group of people. In fact, I would be hard-pressed to assemble a better mixture of individuals filled with a readiness to learn, an ability to … Continue reading Israel: Connecting Past, Present and Future
by Phil Johnson, Ph.D. December 31, 2017 http://www.globalnext.org 2017 was as busy as usual for the Globalnexter - I began the year in Poland, followed by Baghdad, Germany, Italy, Republic of Georgia, Finland, Estonia, Israel, the UK, Paris, Turkey, the Syrian border, Korea and now, I sit in Athens, Greece writing my final blog of … Continue reading 2017: It’s Time to Go!
February 6, 2015 Over the last couple of weeks, ISIS (Islamic State) has continued to make headlines by gaining territory in Syria, decapitating two Japanese journalists and releasing a highly-produced video showing the burning alive of Jordanian pilot, Muath al-Kassasbeh. In addition, a report released on Wednesday by the U.N. Committee on the Rights of … Continue reading ISIS: Fire and the Healing of the Believer’s Chest
July 1, 2014 On June 28th, history marked the 100th anniversary of the event that sparked World War I. After the war and the downfall of the Ottoman Empire, maps were redrawn by the European victors, with very little understanding of the maze of Middle Eastern identities. Kurds, Sunni Muslims, Shiite Muslims, Jews, Christians, Druze and … Continue reading Wars, Legacies and 100 Years
June 9, 2014 Americans and the media have been buzzing this past week about the latest issue in Obama’s attempt to manage America’s foreign policy and end the war in Afghanistan while not completely ruining his political career in the process. Here’s what happened: US soldier, Bowe Bergdahl, was held prisoner by the Taliban in Afghanistan … Continue reading FIVE FOR ONE: The Taliban Prisoner Trade Issue
May 26, 2014 Every once in a while, I’ll stop and post some views on what’s happening in the world. It almost seems like a full-time job just to try to keep track of all that’s happening. Here’s my “simplified” list of five complex issues that are happening now: EGYPTIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: What’s happening? Egypt … Continue reading GLOBAL UPDATE: MAY 2014
January 15, 2014 Well, it’s only January, but it’s time to do a quick update on what’s going on in the Middle East. There are four issues that deserve our attention. DEAL WITH IRAN The West struck a landmark deal with Iran over their nuclear program. Under the deal, Iran has agreed to cap the … Continue reading MIDDLE EAST UPDATE: Iran, Libya, Iraq and Egypt
My source inside of Syria contacted me today. He’s a Syrian journalist in Damascus covering the ongoing civil war. He doesn’t want me to use his name, but I trust his information - I’ve literally put my life in his hands when I worked on a project in Damascus back in 2009. After giving me … Continue reading Syria, Chemical Weapons and the US Response
The pursuit of democracy is messy. Sorting out a society when all you’ve had since you can remember is tyrannical dictatorships is going to take some time. Many of my colleagues in Egypt believed that they had achieved freedom and democracy on February 11, 2011, when President Mubarak was ousted. Not true. Removing Mubarak was … Continue reading Five Reasons Americans Should Care About What’s Happening in Egypt
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