Freelance journo working on security & geopolitics in MidEast & South Asia. Bylines: Newsweek, Spectator, Nikkei Asia, AJE, Prospect et al. RT ≠ endorsements.
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Joined December 2012
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The Taliban takeover has not been good for Pakistan. Drug-trafficking from Afghanistan has increased under Taliban rule, my new piece shows, with frequent large seizures of opiates and crystal meth, the latter feeding a domestic 'ice' epidemic.
atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/so…
Rupert Stone retweeted
Breaking news: President Herzog has just announced that Gadi Eisenkot, the frontrunner to replace Prime Minister Netanyahu, will receive the mandate to form a government.
According to senior sources in Eisenkot’s party, he intends to form a government as quickly as possible- even a minority government - which he would define as an emergency government. His goal is to do so within the next ten days.
Rupert Stone retweeted
It’s hard for people to understand how much pressure is coming to the President from outside the White House to continue the war, even at the expense of his voters. It’s tremendous
From WSJ: "Several hawkish outside advisers have called Trump since Election Day to make the case that his legacy depends on forcing Iran to surrender its nuclear program, which would allow the president to boast the political sacrifice was worth the cost, U.S. officials and another source familiar said." wsj.com/world/middle-east/tr…
Rupert Stone retweeted
BREAKING Israeli President Hertzog gives opposition leader Eisenkot the mandate to form a government
Rupert Stone retweeted
Netanyahu seems desperate. He realizes that Eisenkot is on the way to forming a government that will send him packing.
He is also setting the stage for his next election campaign. He'll claim he called for unity and Gadi went with the Arabs.
Rupert Stone retweeted
💥Hours before Gadi Eisenkot is expected to get the nod, Netanyahu posts a video, apparently new, in which he seems genuinely panicked, calls on his supporters to stop the formation of any new government by any means necessary, and threatens violence. For 11 days, no one has seen this man in public.
Rupert Stone retweeted
Investigations seem likely, per the next Chair of SFRC.
GOP lawmakers “fuming” over Miller appointment.
"Horrible decision."
GOP Rep. Marlin Stutzman isn't holding back after President Trump names Stephen Miller his new White House chief of staff, a move that has several House Republicans furious following the party's midterm losses.
Multiple GOP lawmakers tell Fox News Digital they wanted Miller fired, not promoted, arguing his hardline immigration policies damaged the party's standing with voters, particularly in Latino communities.
One Republican even calls Miller a "megalomaniac," though the lawmaker also argues he isn't solely responsible for the election losses.
The White House is defending Miller's record, but lawmakers are revealing what happened when they confronted him behind closed doors. foxnews.com/politics/house-g…
As MAGA crumbles, more and more dirt spills out through the cracks
Trump ally Loomer was paid thousands for political tweets, people familiar say
washingtonpost.com/business/…
Rupert Stone retweeted
DeSantis knows the public hates the Iran War and wants to pitch himself as a war opponent ahead of a likely presidential run.
It’s a smart move, but it runs counter to long history of ardent hawkery on Iran. As I explain in AmCon, he backed the war and has repeatedly said military action is necessary against the Islamic Republic.
His new stance may not stand up to public scrutiny. theamericanconservative.com/…
Rupert Stone retweeted
Only took them two days to figure it out?
Rupert Stone retweeted
This shows that he is putting himself before country. He’s not effective any longer. He is a giant distraction and will be every day, if he stays. This is Cabinet Secretary 101. Anyone without sociopathic narcissistic tendencies would realize that it’s time to go. He’s not serving the president nor the country well by staying.
“He’s not going anywhere,” said Tim Parlatore, a special adviser to Hegseth. “He intends to serve the full four years.”
With @lindsaywise and @laraseligman
wsj.com/politics/hegseth-mou…
Rupert Stone retweeted
PSAKI: “Your thoughts on @SenSchumer for senate leader?”
@scott_colom: “My concern is too many of our leaders are from the same area of the country.”
Rupert Stone retweeted
Republicans lost ground with every group Trump won in 2024, except white evangelicals.
Rupert Stone retweeted
Indeed
Rupert Stone retweeted
The WH waged a dayslong campaign to discredit CNN reporting last year that Midnight Hammer hadn’t obliterated Iran’s nuclear program and only temporarily set it back (deadline.com/2025/06/trump-c…)
16 months later:
Rewards for Justice is offering a reward of up to $20 million and possible relocation for information about Iran’s nuclear program, including its facilities, equipment, and associated personnel, such as those in the scientific community, or the movement of any of the above.
Submit a tip: rewardsforjustice.net/reward…
Understandable that Pakistan would jump at an opportunity to boost its ties with the US seeing as they’d been trashed in Washington for so long.
But a healthy bilateral relationship requires ties on both sides of the partisan divide. They may come to regret their embrace of DJT.
Great report by Ariba
reuters.com/world/asia-pacif…
Rupert Stone retweeted
The Defense Secretary is declaring war on who exactly? The Vice President? The Chief of Staff? The Trump Cabinet is becoming a circular firing squad.
Tonight's Pentagon PR blitz for @PeteHegseth comes after @SeanParnellASW convened a team "to map the most aggressive defense of Secretary Hegseth and the President's agenda ever assembled," spokesman @JoelValdezDOW says.
"What we’ve learned from this President is never back down and fight, fight, fight!” Valdez said.
He predicted "offensive maneuvers" to come.
Rupert Stone retweeted
Woke in US this morning, to phone inundated with videos from Gaza. Where the flimsy tents ~1m people have been living in have been totally subsumed by *first* heavy rains of this fourth winter of misery for them. This is entirely preventable. Thousands of tents are awaiting entry
