Michael Rubin is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and director of policy analysis at the Middle East Forum. A former Pentagon official, Dr. Rubin has lived in post-revolution Iran, Yemen, and both pre- and postwar Iraq. He also spent time with the Taliban before 9/11. For more than a decade, he taught classes at sea about the Horn of Africa and Middle East conflicts, culture, and terrorism, to deployed US Navy and Marine units. Dr. Rubin is the author, coauthor, and coeditor of several books exploring diplomacy, Iranian history, Arab culture, Kurdish studies, and Shi’ite politics.
ATEQ, YEMEN—Driving from Aden to Ateq, the capital of Yemen’s Shabwah Governorate, takes cars, trucks, and buses past Wadi Omran, which was once ground...
On June 24, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would recognize Palestine as an independent state in September; he may unwittingly have jump-started...
France’s Recognition of Palestine Encourages Terrorism, Anti-French Separatism: French President Emmanuel Macron announced on July 24, 2025, that France will unilaterally recognize Palestine as...
ADEN, YEMEN—The resumption of Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping should surprise no one. The Houthis do not believe the international community is serious...
The United States, European Union, and African Union each support Somalia’s military to help combat Al-Shabaab. For almost 20 years, the internationally recognized Somali...
ADEN, YEMEN—Western diplomats and the United Nations have some explaining to do. More than three and a half years ago, the Southern Transitional Council,...
ADEN, YEMEN—It’s déjà vu all over again as Western diplomats reject terror designations because they believe a broad net is counterproductive. The European Union...
Americans remain deeply skeptical about Qatar. Critics point to its traditional support for the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist movements, its donations to groups...