Clifford D. May

Bashar Assad is back, and the Arab League’s got him

Is there, anywhere in the world, a dictator with bloodier hands than Bashar Assad? Published May 16, 2023

Israel’s 75th birthday: Despite endless war, Jewish state survives and even thrives

On May 14, 1948, in the Tel Aviv Museum, David Ben-Gurion read from the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel. Published May 9, 2023

The new — or perhaps renewed — Cold War

On Christmas Day 1991, the Soviet Union ceased to exist, and the Cold War ended. Or did it? Published May 2, 2023

French twist: Emmanuel Macron cozies up to Chinese Communist Party

Is France still an ally of the United States? Based on Emmanuel Macron's three-day state visit to the People's Republic of China earlier this month, the answer to that question is in doubt. Published April 25, 2023

Losing Latin America: U.S. retreats while China’s Communist rulers advance

"Asia Firster" is the term applied to those who argue that the threat Beijing poses to Taiwan should be Washington's top national security priority. Published April 18, 2023

Lessons of the energy crisis

Energy policy is national security policy. So when political leaders get energy policy wrong, they get national security policy wrong. Published April 5, 2023

No alternative to ‘peace through strength’ is preferable to robust deterrence

A policy of "peace through strength" means doing what is necessary to instill fear in our enemies, to convince them that we have both the capability and the will to cause them serious harm. Published March 28, 2023

Facing existential threats, Israelis can’t resist fighting one another

How many simultaneous conflicts can a small country handle? Israel may soon find out. Published March 21, 2023

China’s global supremacists: Communists in Beijing have grand ambitions

Code Pink, among the looniest groups on the far left, last week attempted to disrupt a hearing of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. Published March 7, 2023

Dear President Biden: War in Ukraine isn’t just about Ukraine

First, kudos to you for going to Kyiv. Not many sitting American presidents have visited active war zones. I'm told that Vladimir Putin was informed you'd be there. Published February 28, 2023

China’s red balloon: Best-case scenario is that it’s just for spying

China's rulers have accused the U.S. government of "a clear overreaction" to the flight of its balloon across our country. Published February 14, 2023

Iran’s arsenal of tyranny

More than 3,000 assault rifles, 578,000 rounds of ammunition and 23 anti-tank guided missiles. Published February 7, 2023

Soldiers of misfortune: Putin’s Wagner Group isn’t playing

The Wagner Group is not, as the name might suggest, a club for lovers of epic German operas. Its members are often called mercenaries, but that's imprecise. Published January 31, 2023

What is Putin thinking?

I've begun talking to myself. Not good. But who else can I talk to? I'm surrounded by fools and incompetents. Published January 24, 2023

Biden doesn’t intend to defend America’s borders

In Mexico City last week, the president of the United States met with the president of Mexico and the prime minister of Canada for what was dubbed the "Three Amigos Summit." Published January 17, 2023

Why a Jew’s visit to the holiest Jewish site provokes outrage

Imagine if Pope Francis said: "Only Christians are permitted in the Vatican! No Muslims and no Jews!" Published January 10, 2023

A sorry summit: Biden avoids pivotal issues in meeting with African leaders

Last month, President Biden hosted 59 African leaders in our nation's capital. Published January 3, 2023

Strategery 101: When enemy Russia attacks friend Ukraine, back the friend

A week ago Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, made a surprise visit to Bakhmut, where his troops are engaged in a bloody battle with Russian invaders. Published December 27, 2022

Why Jordan has not joined the Abraham Accords

Some years ago, a colleague and I were in Israel at the home of a former member of the intelligence community who maintained his international connections. Published December 20, 2022

Extremist ideologies proliferate in a world where anything goes

Extremist ideologies are proliferating, and it has become taboo in what we used to call polite society to criticize ideas that, not long ago, would have been seen as shockingly beyond the pale. Published December 13, 2022