John Taylor

John Taylor received an A.B. in Near Eastern languages from the University of Chicago, a B.A. and an M.A. in Oriental studies from Cambridge University, and an MBA from Columbia University. He served two years active duty in the United States Army, reaching the grade of sergeant, and spent six years in the reserves. Before making his career in the oil and gas business in Texas, he worked in the Middle East as an archaeologist, banker, and civil servant. Taylor is a life-long Republican.

Mahmoud Abbas: Obama and Bibi’s Man in Palestine

Palestinian Authority boss Mahmoud Abbas has no self-respect and no respect for his constituents. Although the US has rarely shown much sympathy for the Palestinians under Israeli occupation, Obama’s visit to Israel reached a new low. After saying the US-Israeli alliance is "eternal, it is forever," visiting the grave of Theodor Herzl and pontificating about … Continue reading “Mahmoud Abbas: Obama and Bibi’s Man in Palestine”

Deconstructing A Peace to End All Peace

In A Peace to End All Peace, David Fromkin’s subject is the Middle East immediately before, during, and after World War I. Central to Fromkin’s 567-page survey is the British and French division of the Arabic-speaking provinces of the Ottoman Empire. Paris and London carved up the region, which the Turks had ruled for 400 … Continue reading “Deconstructing A Peace to End All Peace“

Yellow Journalism at Its Nastiest

Can anyone doubt that The Wall Street Journal’s opinion pages show rabid anti-Arab and anti-Muslim bias? Consider early June: Fouad Ajami kicked off the month with a piece critical of Palestinian plans to obtain UN recognition for their state. Ajami asserts that when the Israelis took this route in 1948, “Labor Zionism” had already done … Continue reading “Yellow Journalism at Its Nastiest”

America in the Middle East: US Policy Fails Its Purchasers

Can anyone doubt that Israel and its American friends direct U.S. Middle East policy? Do senior members of the administration ever dispute the axiom that Israel’s enemies must be America’s enemies? Does Congress or the corporate media ever question the huge financial, military, and diplomatic support Israel receives? Every year witnesses the shameful spectacle of … Continue reading “America in the Middle East: US Policy Fails Its Purchasers”

Rumsfeld Revives Old Lies in New Book

Watching Diane Sawyer of ABC News help former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld promote his memoir, Known and Unknown, gives one a definite feeling of, as Yogi Berra put it, “déjà vu all over again.” Listening to Rumsfeld field Sawyer’s softball questions, delivered in a deferential tone normally reserved for sympathetic conversations with senior U.S. … Continue reading “Rumsfeld Revives Old Lies in New Book”

The Wiesenthal Center’s Bait and Switch

The Simon Wiesenthal Center’s stated purpose is “confronting anti-Semitism, hate and terrorism, promoting human rights and dignity, standing with Israel, defending the safety of Jews worldwide, and teaching the lessons of the Holocaust.” Rabbi Marvin Hier established the Center as a tax-exempt foundation in 1977 with a major grant from Canadian financier Samuel Belzberg and … Continue reading “The Wiesenthal Center’s Bait and Switch”

Museum of Tolerance Desecrates Graves

Rabbi Marvin Hier’s Los Angeles-based Museum of Tolerance, part of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, is building a $150 million branch in Jerusalem. The Museum, whose mission is confronting "global anti-Semitism, extremism, hate … and promoting unity and respect among Jews and people of all faiths," is being built atop part of the Mamilla Muslim cemetery, … Continue reading “Museum of Tolerance Desecrates Graves”

Ironic Intervention: A Lebanese Doughboy in World War I

In 1914 Michael Zataney, born in the village of Zgharta in what is now Lebanon, lived in Birmingham, Ala., and looked forward to becoming an American citizen. The Zataney family left what geographers call "Greater Syria" to escape the oppression of the Ottoman Turks who had ruled the area for 400 years. Culturally diverse and … Continue reading “Ironic Intervention: A Lebanese Doughboy in World War I”

The ‘Stupidest Guy on the Planet’ Has Lots of Company

During the run-up to the invasion of Iraq in 2003 the soldier selected to lead the campaign, Gen. Tommy Franks, called Pentagon number-three man Doug Feith “the stupidest f*cking guy on the face of the planet.” What Feith did to be dubbed the world’s greatest fool is unknown, but it is certain that Georgia’s President … Continue reading “The ‘Stupidest Guy on the Planet’ Has Lots of Company”