Matthew's Notebook

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It's not about "ancient hatreds"
The different trajectories of the Ukrainian-Polish and Azerbaijani-Armenian conflicts show how politics affect historical memory and ethnic conflict.
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Matthew Petti
What is Washington's problem with Shi'a Muslims?
Western policy circles have come to accept a certain level of anti-Shi'a bigotry, and downplay its murderous consequences.
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Matthew Petti
Global power runs through New Jersey
The suburbs of New York City play an underrated role in international politics, as the cases of Bob Menéndez and Nikki Haley show.
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Matthew Petti
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Muslim-American conservatives and the Palestinian question
 • Matthew Petti
The death and birth of the Iranian opposition
 • Matthew Petti
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The U.S. isn't behind everything, but it isn't innocent either
 • Matthew Petti
Hello to my newest readers...
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Iranian Opposition TV Goes After BBC Over Criticism of Saudi Ties
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U.S. helps Bahrain spy on social media — and proudly
Bahraini police, who have a reputation for torturing critics, are getting American training to fight "disinformation" and "terrorism" online.
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Matthew Petti
Closure for 9/11 was stolen from Americans
9/11 was a real national trauma. The War on Terror prevented Americans from feeling like justice could ever be served.
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Matthew Petti
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Syria's "oil region" mutinies against the Kurds
Deir al-Zor is in the throes of a clan war that could drag in the United States, Russia, and Iran.
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Matthew Petti
The Coming Republican Showdown over Israel
The “America First” camp is coming closer to butting heads with the party’s pro-Israel consensus.
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Matthew Petti
Why do Iranians think Lebanese are stealing their money? American disinformation
The idea that Arabs are living it up on the Iranian dime is a case of viral disinformation — which Washington encourages and no one will call out.
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Matthew Petti
The U.S. isn't behind everything, but it isn't innocent either
The Imran Khan leaks and recent debates over Turkey in Syria reveal how U.S. power influences events indirectly.
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Matthew Petti
SpongeBob, the bikini, Godzilla, and thermonuclear genocide
The nuclear tests on Bikini Atoll left a very big crater — both physically and culturally.
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Matthew Petti
"Oppenheimer" made history exciting
Nolan did a good job turning bureaucratic drama and World War II intrigue into a blockbuster story. The history was accurate — with some exceptions.
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Matthew Petti
An Islamist immigrant explains polygamy to Americans, 1971
Ebrahim Yazdi wrote a very earnest letter to immigration officials laying out his beliefs on Islamic marriage.
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Matthew Petti
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Matthew's Notebook
Matthew's Notebook
Observations on history, society, and the media from an American in the Middle East.
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