Director of the Future of Terrorism Project, Foundation for the Defense of Democracies'
Senior Fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies and Director of its Future of Terrorism project; instructor in Global Strategies at National Defense University in Washington DC; author of Future Jihad: Terrorist Strategies against the West, The War of Ideas: Jihadism against Democracies, and The Confrontation: Winning the war against Future Jihad
'Home-based Terrorism:' Politics and Reality Are American Muslims being radicalized? Is any substantial number likely to go overseas for training and then return to commit terrorist actions on American soil? That's a continuing fear of terrorist experts.
'Home-based Terrorism:' Politics and Reality A series of recent incidents led Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to warn that “home-based terrorism” is a threat the US “must confront.” American citizens -- including Muslims born in the US — are accused of planning some terrorist actions and actually being involved in others. How serious is the threat and how should it be confronted? Are American Muslims being radicalized? Is any substantial number likely to go overseas for training and then return to commit terrorist actions on American soil? Do Muslims have a special responsibility to combat it? What does it have to do with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? Does the Obama Administration exaggerate to gain support for military action?
Convicted Bomber Released but Lockerbie Case Far from Over In 2001, Scottish judges convicted Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi and sentenced him to a minimum of 27 years for planting the bomb on Pan Am Flight 103 that killed 270 people in 1988. Two weeks ago, he was released and returned to Libya on compassionate grounds. According to Libyan officials, al-Megrahi, who's suffering from terminal prostate cancer, doesn't have long to live in a hospital in Tripoli. But the controversy surrounding his release from a Scottish prison isn't ending, with accusations growing that British Prime Minister Gordon Brown pressured Scottish authorities for al-Megrahi's release to help improve relations with oil-rich Libya. What role did oil companies play? Did Britain break a promise to the US? What effect does al-Megrahi's release have on relations between the West and the Arab world?
President Obama and the Middle East As President Obama arrived in Saudi Arabia today, Al-Jazeera aired what purports to be a threatening new audiotape from Osama bin Laden. But King Abdullah met Air Force One in searing heat at the airport and the two exchanged kisses on both cheeks.
President Obama Arrives in the Middle East As President Obama arrived in Saudi Arabia today, Al-Jazeera aired what purports to be a threatening new audiotape from Osama bin Laden. But King Abdullah met Air Force One in searing heat at the airport and the two exchanged kisses on both cheeks. The President is on his way to Cairo for tomorrow's speech to the Muslim world. He met with King Abdulla to "seek his majesty's counsel." Saudi Arabia is a major player in both the religion and politics of a troubled region, and it's key to stabilizing the price of oil. We hear about common interests and differences on Iraq, the Taliban, Iran's nuclear program and peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
What's the Immediate Future of the Middle East? With the United States bogged down in Iraq, and President Bush, the Congress and leaders around the world debating the Iraq Study Group's report , there's talk that the "American era" in the Middle East has ended. Without Iraq to offset it, Iran is becoming the strongest Islamic nation—with Israel the region's other major power. We get several views on the changes to come and how they'll affect American interests. Can increased democracy counter radical Islam and be a vehicle for peace and prosperity? Should the US put less emphasis on the military and more on diplomacy?
Terrorism and the November Midterm Elections National security was a Republican winner in the past two elections, but polls show that Americans are losing patience with the war in Iraq. Even many conservative critics say the US is less safe than it was before September 11, and Democrats are on the offensive in November's election campaigns. Can the Republicans turn it around by playing the terror card once again or are they risking a backlash? Is America hated because it's a free country or because of its actions? Is Iraq crucial to winning the war on terror or has it made the job harder? We hear from experts on terrorism and politics.
In Mid-East Fighting, What's News? What's Propaganda? The war between Israel and Hezbollah is being fought not just on the ground but also in the media. Both sides are adept at propaganda--to persuade the other side it's losing and to influence the ideas and images reported in the rest of the world. Israel bombards southern Lebanon with phone calls, e-mails and leaflets that one reporter has called " propaganda bombs " that flutter to the streets "like confetti." Hezbollah provides "escorts" for western reporters. How do mainstream newspapers, radio and television stations sort it all out? We speak with journalists and Middle East experts about propaganda on both sides and ask how the mainstream media figure out what's true and what's false.
Who's to blame for the opioid crisis? Some of the lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are now going after Big Pharma. It’s all about the deadly epidemic of opioid use. Are the drug companies to blame? What about the users? Later, on today’s Talking Point: making sense of Britain’s upset election.
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.
Trump plays scolder-in-chief with NATO allies At the opening of NATO’s dramatic new headquarters in Brussels today, President Trump acknowledged that Article 5 — promising that “an attack on one nation is an attack on all” -- has only been invoked one time: in the aftermath of September 11. But the President failed to provide what 27 other Alliance members have been waiting for: a re-commitment by America’s new leader to Article 5. Instead, they got a scolding.
Janesville and the American Dream Janesville, Wisconsin is the hometown of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. But he couldn’t prevent the closing of the General Motors factory after 100 years. On this Memorial Day rebroadcast of To the Point, we hear what’s happened to what once was a model of American middle-class unity.