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Clifford D. May

Clifford D. May

cmay123@washingtontimes.com

Clifford D. May is president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a columnist for The Washington Times. He can be reached at cliff@fdd.org.

Columns by Clifford D. May

Illustration on the anti-semitism of the BDS movement by Linas Garsys/The Washington Times

CLIFFORD MAY: Resisting trend toward anti-Semitism

Robert S. Wistrich, who died suddenly last week, was considered the foremost scholar of anti-Semitism, which he called "the longest hatred," one that appears to be metastasizing in the current era.

May 26, 2015

CLIFFORD MAY: Gulf state rulers don’t trust Obama

I'd venture to guess that most of what you heard about President Obama's summit last week was wrong. To start, it wasn't a "summit." That term, coined by Winston Churchill, implies a meeting of heads of government. However, the most important Arab leader invited by Mr. Obama, King Salman of Saudi Arabia, stayed home, as did the rulers of the United Arab Emirates and Oman. King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa of Bahrain decided his time could be spent more productively at the Royal Windsor Horse Show outside London.

May 19, 2015
Illustration on the suave approach taken by Iranian nuclear negotiators by Linas Garsys/The Washington Times

CLIFFORD MAY: The ‘suave’ manner Mohammad Javad Zarif

Tehran's largest cemetery, Behesht-e Zahra, contains the graves of thousands of Iranians killed in battle. There's also a polished stone monument bearing this inscription: "To the memory of two Muslim Lebanese youths who on the morning of Sunday October 23, 1983, in two simultaneous martyrdom operations, with trucks carrying explosives, attacked the headquarters of American occupiers (in South Beirut) and headquarters of French occupiers (in West Beirut) killing 241 American Marines and 48 French paratroopers. Their names we do not know, but we will continue their path."

May 5, 2015
Illustration on remembrance of the Turkish genocide against Armenians 100 years ago by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

CLIFFORD MAY: Recalling the lessons of Armenia

Displayed outside the Turkish embassy in Washington last week was a large banner reading, "Armenian genocide is an imperialist lie." That claim might be amusing were the subject not so dreadful.

April 28, 2015
Illustration on the dangers and illegalities of the Iran nuclear deal by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

CLIFFORD MAY: Congress should act on Iran deal

Members of Congress are facing the test of their political lives. America's national security is about to be imperiled. American sovereignty is about to be surrendered. The U.S. Constitution is about to be compromised.

April 21, 2015
Illustration on the untrustworthy Iranian leadership by Linas Garsys/The Washington Times

CLIFFORD MAY: Obama should not trust Iran

"The West Capitulates." That was the headline on an article by Ibrahim al-Amin, editor of the Lebanese daily al-Akbar. He elaborated: "Victors and vanquished. This is the truth of conflicts in the world since ancient times. Only those who live with their eyes closed believe conflicts end with compromises."

April 7, 2015
Illustration on Iran's greater ambitions in the Middle East by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

CLIFFORD MAY: Iran lays plans for a new Persian empire

Three years ago, film-goers were treated to "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen," which critic Kenneth Turan called a "pleasant fantasy" about the Middle East. Today, of course, Yemen is the hub of a bloody conflict, one which President Obama persists in viewing with equal unreality.

March 31, 2015
A Nuclear-Armed Middle East Illustration by Greg Groesch/The Washington Times

CIFFORD MAY: Obama thinks bad Iran deal better than no deal

Remember when President Obama said that to prevent the Islamic Republic of Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapons capability, he would keep all options "on the table"? How long has it been since anyone took that warning seriously?

March 3, 2015
Vladimir Putin Cartoon by Herb, Dagningen, Lillehammer, Norway/CartoonArts International

CLIFFORD MAY: Vladimir Putin’s revisionist government

Last week, two Russian long-range bombers skirted the southwest coast of England. British Typhoon warplanes scrambled from their base to "escort" the bombers away. Prime Minister David Cameron accused Moscow of "trying to make some sort a point."

February 24, 2015
Illustration on Obama's secret strategy to promote Iranian hegemony by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

CLIFFORD MAY: Obama’s secret terrorism strategy accommodates Iran

It seems like only yesterday that President Obama was being criticized for having no strategy to counter the jihadi threat. In fact, it was about 10 days ago. Peggy Noonan's Feb. 1 Wall Street Journal column was headlined: "America's Strategy Deficit."

February 10, 2015
Illustration on the need for sanctions against Iran by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

CLIFFORD MAY: Iran and the case for deadline-triggered sanctions

Experienced negotiators know this: The side most willing to walk away from the table generally wins. The side that seems desperate for a deal loses. Yet President Obama is telling the entire world that he needs an agreement with Iran's rulers more than they need an agreement with him.

January 20, 2015

CLIFFORD MAY: West’s irresponsible attitude toward Iran is dangerous

Let's get a few things straight: The slaughter of eight satirical journalists in Paris last week was not a tragedy. It was an atrocity. While you may have been shocked by the attack on Charlie Hebdo, anyone who was surprised has not been paying close attention to the events unfolding over recent decades.

January 13, 2015