Interesting numbers in $2.2 billion in FEMA funding announced today for past disasters. The DHS press release lists only the 15 largest of 1,721 recovery projects, but of those $875 million, $768 million went to states that voted for President Trump. www.dhs.gov/news/2026/01...

An important change in Minnesota: Exclusive: ICE officers in Minnesota directed not to interact with 'agitators' - www.reuters.com/world/ice-of...

Still not downloading TikTok. Here's why. tiktok's new privacy policy is sparking a backlash. here's what to know. www.cbsnews.com/news/tiktok-...

A great analysis of counterterrorism strategy by Chris Costa and Colin Clarke: #CT Loosening the Gordian Knot of Global Terrorism: Why Legitimacy Must Anchor a Counterterrorism Strategy www.thecipherbrief.com/loosening-th...

On Al-Jazeera Sunday night discussing the challenges ahead for the Board of Peace and the efforts to rebuild Gaza. Much depends on what happens in Davos in the coming days: President Trump will urge members to contribute serious amounts of money and troops for the International Stabilization Force.

On Ash-Sharq/Bloomberg talking about the Syria-SDF ceasefire agreement. Washington will need to keep encouraging both sides to live up to the terms of this agreement.

On Al-Hadath (Saudi Arabia) tonight talking about the challenges facing the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. They need commitments of money and troops that President Trump will be trying to nail down in Davos next week. Disarmament of Hamas is going to be a real challenge.

On Al-Jazeera tonight talking about Iran and President Trump’s unscripted statement to Politico about replacing Supreme Leader Khamenei. President Trump believes the Iranian government promised him no killings of protesters and no executions.

On the Al-Qahera (Egypt) News Channel Friday night, discussing the opening meetings of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. That’s the Committee on the left. The crucial question is whether they will get the troops and money they need.

For Iran, it’s now “Double or nothing.” On Al-Jazeera tonight, I said President Trump considers the Iranian regime’s promise it would not shoot protesters and will not execute prisoners as a binding commitment. As long as the Iranian government honors this commitment, there will be no strikes.

On Al-Jazeera tonight, talking about the #WestBank, if Palestinians want to elevate the importance of ending #settlerviolence, Arab leaders will need to raise this with President Trump at the #BoardOfPeace meeting in #Davos next week.

Top US experts on what's up for the Mideast in 2026: alhurra.com/en/10012

Important and timely insights by my Atlantic Council colleague Jason Marczak: www.atlanticcouncil.org/dispatches/n...

Happy New Year! May 2026 bring peace, security, prosperity, and tranquility throughout the world.

An important update on Russia's activities in Libya, and the US response, by my Atlantic Council colleague Frank Talbot: www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menaso...

Preventing money going to Hamas is going to be essential in order for there to be a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Cutting Off Hamas’s European Fundraising Spigot www.lawfaremedia.org/article/cutt...

On Al-Qahera News just now talking about the terrorist attack against a Hannukah gathering in Sydney, Australia. I noted praise from around the world for Australian Ahmed El Ahmad, shown here disarming one terrorist until he was wounded by the other terrorist.

On Al-Qahera News Channel last night talking about what Trump is planning for Venezuela.

On Al-Jazeera tonight explaining how strong leadership from President Trump is now necessary to get the Gaza peace plan moving forward.

I drove past where the 2 National Guardsmen were shot about 20 minutes before. I was on the N side of Farragut Square, they were on the S side. Nothing was going on, no demonstration, no tension. www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...

This is a thoughtful approach to the problem of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is not a single coherent group -- in contrast to Al-Qaeda and Da'esh, which are. www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...

UN Security Council Resolution 2803, the US resolution on Gaza, passed 13-0 with China and Russia abstaining. Now the really hard work can begin.

Well said. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

So the Russians have released their competing resolution on Gaza. It’s on the website of their mission to the UN, russiaun.ru/en/news/comm....

1 of 3: On the #Gaza UN Security Council resolution, here are the tracked changes from the "zero draft" last Thursday with the "Rev 1" draft released Wednesday. More screenshots below. The big changes are in paragraphs 2, 3, and 7, and a new paragraph 10.

May I propose a radical, three-step solution to Iran's very serious water crisis: 1. Stop spending money on proxy armies and nuclear weapons. 2. Make peace with Israel. 3. Invite Israeli experts to help. time.com/7321571/iran...

1/2: For the Trump 20-point plan to work, Gaza must be demilitarized; Hamas disarmed. The ISF mandate in the UNSC resolution is strong. But the resolution should make clear in para 4 that the Board of Peace's “operational entities” will control the money. www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menaso...

Hard to imagine a rollicking interview about nuclear blustering between Trump and Putin, but today on Al-Ghad al-Arabi (Egypt) we came close. Kudos to interviewer Mohamed Abdallah for coming up with the reference to Jules Verne’s dark 1904 classic “The Master of the World.”

Hamas caught in the act in Gaza. They dropped partial remains of an Israeli hostage in a pit, covered it, then brought in the Red Cross to say they'd found remains. #chutzpah x.com/ariel_oseran...

Biometric Exit final rule is out. www.federalregister.gov/documents/20...

There needs to be a way to get more aid to Gaza without enriching Hamas. Here are some ideas: jstribune.com/warrick-how-...

There is a way to dismantle Hamas after the Gaza ceasefire. I explain how this can be done.

Very much worth reading, from my former @StateDept boss Jim Jeffrey: jstribune.com/jeffrey-dent...

1 of 4 As I explained on Al-Jazeera, President Trump expects Hamas to turn over almost all the deceased hostages within a couple of days. Also: Hamas needs to stop executing people. Israel will cite this, rightly, as evidence Hamas is not giving up power in Gaza, as Trump’s 20-point plan requires.

Here are my thoughts today on what it's going to take for postwar Gaza to succeed. www.cbc.ca/player/play/...

Interesting piece in The National (UAE) on Jared Kushner's (@jaredkushner role in the @realDonaldTrump administration's thinking about postwar Gaza. www.thenationalnews.com/news/us/2025...

Expect more revelations like this in the weeks to come. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/w...

1 / 3 On Ash-Sharq/Bloomberg, Al-Qahera, and Al-Jazeera today talking about the Gaza peace deal. Worth celebrating for all those who want to see a lasting peace. But (1) will Hamas agree to lay down its weapons? (2) Will countries agree to contribute peacekeeping troops?

On Al-Jazeera and Al-Jazeera English tonight, explaining that the pressure Monday in the talks in Egypt will be on Hamas: will they agree to the release of hostages within days? If not, Israel will say Hamas rejects President Trump’s plan.

1/6 On Al-Jazeera, Al-Arabiya, Al-Qahera, CTV News (Canada), Al-Ghad al-Arabi, and TRT World tonight talking about Hamas’s response to the Trump peace plan for Gaza. One big concern is sequencing.

While the Trump 20-point plan for Gaza has no UN role, there is a way a one-time-only, nonrenewable Security Council resolution could help, modeled on UNSCR 1031 (1995) for Bosnia. www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-at...

1/3 On Al-Jazeera Thursday talking about the West Bank. Now that President Trump has said no West Bank annexation, here's what concerns me: Trump emphasizes no annexation to PM Netanyahu on Monday. But when Netanyahu goes home, some Israeli ministers may try small steps to undercut Trump’s position.

Postwar Gaza plans are now on the front burner in Washington and New York. Bob Silverman and I discuss our updated Plan for Postwar Gaza and other, comparable plans in this OpEd in the Jerusalem Strategic Tribune: jstribune.com/warrick-silv...

A group of former senior US officials, of whom I’m one, has released our updated Plan for Postwar Gaza on the Jerusalem Strategic Tribune website: jstribune.com/wp-content/u...

On CTV News in Canada on Saturday talking about the visit of Secretary of State Rubio to Israel. The question is what he will say on behalf of President Trump about the Israeli efforts to annex the West Bank, which could undermine the Abraham Accords.

On BBC Arabic Sunday discussing the Rubio visit to Jerusalem. The open question is what message he conveyed about West Bank annexation. Annexation could disrupt the Abraham Accords and undermine one of Trump's most important diplomatic accomplishments.

On Al-Jazeera tonight, saying that @realDonaldTrump will ensure Qatari PM Mohammed Abdulrahman Al Thani hears tonight the depth of the US commitment to Qatar's security. On Gaza, Trump can be expected to say no one will, or should, pay to rebuild Gaza until Hamas is out of power and disarmed.

Providing context and analysis on Israel’s strike against Hamas in Qatar, on Bloomberg’s “Insight with Haslinda Amin” on Sept. 9. www.linkedin.com/posts/tom-wa...

As I explained on several news programs on Tuesday, Israel does not ask U.S. permission before conducting strikes it deems essential for its national security. Here is IsraeliPM Netanyahu explaining this in April 2025.

Quite a statement by the White House spokesperson criticizing the location of the Israeli strike against Hamas in Doha, Qatar.