AboutArticles by Michael Jansen

A good start

29 Jan 2021

During his first days in office, US President Joe Biden has signed dozens of executive orders cancelling his predecessor’s most damaging decrees, including the ban on the entry of Muslims...

Biden must make crushing Daesh a top priority

24 Jan 2021

To stabilise the Greater Middle East the Biden administration will have to rein in the rise of Daesh in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and North and Sub-Saharan Africa. Although President...

New beginnings

21 Jan 2021

Security arrangements for President Joe Biden’s inauguration mirrored the swearing in ceremonies of President Abraham Lincoln in 1861, when the US was on the brink of civil war, and 1865,...

Grievances, gullibility and guns — a lethal mix

17 Jan 2021

The mob that mounted the January 6th assault on the Capitol, the home of the US legislature, was powered by three “gs,” grievance, gullibility and guns. Grievance begins with...

A big disgrace

14 Jan 2021

Defeated and humiliated as a “loser” Donald Trump has learned nothing from the Jan.6 invasion of the Capitol, home of the US legislature, by his rowdy supporters and has called...

Flawed hero inflamed rowdy villains to attack Capitol Hill

10 Jan 2021

The invasion last Wednesday of the US Capitol by swarms of Donald Trump’s supporters while Congress was confirming the election of Joe Biden to the presidency was the first attack...

Origin story

07 Jan 2021

Covid-19 has once again warned humanity not to intrude on and interact with wild animals, birds and insects as they can infect us with pandemics we cannot counter and control....

Iran builds up pressure on Biden over nuclear deal

03 Jan 2021

Tehran has launched a first stage of trials of its own COVID vaccine in a bid to become self-sufficient in the battle against the virus which has infected 1.25 million...

Master of espionage

31 Dec 2020

British spy novelist John le Carre, who died on Dec.14 at the age of 87, and master spy George Blake who died at 98 two weeks later, are forever linked...

Trump’s pardon of US mercenaries inexcusable

27 Dec 2020

Donald Trump has used his presidential powers to pardon cronies, crooks, liars and murderers rather than to right injustices, which was the purpose of the pardon. The most damaging of...

Michael Jansen

The author, a well-respected observer of Middle East affairs, has three books on the Arab-Israeli conflict.