research fellow at the Cato Institute
Research Fellow in Foreign Policy Studies at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think-tank in Washington, DC; author of Sandstorm: Policy Failure in the Middle East
PROFILE
Leon Hadar
Guest
FROM Leon Hadar
To the Point
Power, Faith and Fantasy in the Middle East It's easy to think that George W. Bush is the first president to believe that America should have a role in transforming the Muslim Middle East or that 60 years ago Harry S Truman was original in making the establishment of a Jewish state an American objective. But the roots of those actions are as old as the US itself. The early Puritans dreamed of restoring the Jews to Palestine. So did Abraham Lincoln. John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington insisted that Muslims should change their principles and ideals. We look at the origins of America's interest in the Middle Eat and how 21st Century policies have been shaped by the past. What does history tell us about the likelihood of disengagement from that troubled region at any time in the future?
Recommended
To the Point
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?
Left, Right & Center
President Trump: US to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord Trump says he was elected to serve Pittsburgh, not Paris.
To the Point
Trump's 'America First' goes missing abroad In the Middle East, President Trump is changing some policies of the Obama Administration—and reversing his own campaign attacks on Islam as a religion that "hates us." We hear about his visit to Saudi Arabia and what's at stake for the rest of his foreign excursion.
To the Point
Venezuela spirals into economic and political chaos Venezuela, a country whose potential for prosperity is unmatched, finds itself on the verge of civil war. What sustains the repressive government? With time running out, guest host León Krauze looks at what the international community can do to pull the country from the edge of collapse.