Category Archives: Middle East

The Console as a Forward Operating Position: Foreign Sovereign Control of Electronic Arts and the National-Security Question in Interactive Entertainment

Posted on June 29, 2026 by nathanalbright

Abstract The proposed take-private acquisition of Electronic Arts (EA) by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), with Silver Lake and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners holding minority positions, has converted a category of product long dismissed as … Continue reading →

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Tent-Dwellers and Household Power: A Biblicist Critique of the False Portrayal of the Patriarchs as Militarily Helpless: A White Paper

Posted on May 23, 2026 by nathanalbright

Abstract A recurring misconception within modern religious discourse portrays the biblical patriarchs—especially Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—as fundamentally defenseless nomads whose life in tents implied political weakness, military incapacity, or dependence upon surrounding powers for protection. This paper argues that such … Continue reading →

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White Paper: The Sweida Druze Autonomous Zone and the Long-Term Territorial Integrity of Syria—Implications for Relations with Israel

Posted on February 2, 2026 by nathanalbright

Executive summary The emergence of a Druze-centered “autonomous” governance/security space in Sweida is best understood as a hardening of de facto decentralization under conditions of repeated communal violence, weak state monopoly on force, and cross-border signaling. Reporting from 2025–2026 describes … Continue reading →

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White Paper: United States Naval Pressure on Iran: Historical and Legal Analysis

Posted on January 30, 2026 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary In early 2026 the United States significantly increased its naval presence in the Middle East, deploying one or more aircraft carrier strike groups near Iranian waters and signaling the potential use of maritime coercion to restrict Iran’s oil … Continue reading →

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White Paper: Iran’s Regime as a Transnational Security Risk: A Historical and Institutional Analysis of Behaviors the United Nations Has Addressed as Threats to International Peace and Security

Posted on January 24, 2026 by nathanalbright

Prepared for public circulation and policy education Executive Summary This white paper examines whether the conduct of the Islamic Republic of Iran constitutes a transnational security risk of a type previously addressed by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). It … Continue reading →

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White Paper: Quiet Signals, Loud Consequences: Symbolic Protest, Media Blind Spots, and Legitimacy Erosion in Contemporary Iran

Posted on January 7, 2026 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary Recent protest activity in Iran—circulating primarily through diaspora networks and informal media—reveals a phase of unrest that is symbolic, ritualized, and socially embedded, rather than spectacular or riot-driven. These actions include outdoor placement of office furniture, ritualized food … Continue reading →

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White Paper: Governance Capabilities of the STC and Prospects for Diplomatic Recognition

Posted on December 20, 2025 by nathanalbright

1. Introduction Since 2017, the Southern Transitional Council (STC) has evolved from a protest movement channeling southern grievances into a de facto governing authority across much of southern Yemen, especially Aden and surrounding governorates. In December 2025 it moved rapidly … Continue reading →

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Egypt’s Repeated Efforts to Project Power into the Levant during the Third Intermediate Period (c. 1069–664 BCE): A Biblicist White Paper

Posted on December 14, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary The Third Intermediate Period (TIP) marks Egypt’s transition from New Kingdom imperial dominance to a fractured landscape of Libyan dynasties, rival priesthoods, and regional strongmen. Modern historiography often emphasizes decline and disunity. The biblical record, however, fills in … Continue reading →

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White Paper: The Abraham Accords: Core Terms, Current & Prospective Members, and Strategic Implications (as of November 8, 2025)

Posted on November 9, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive summary The Abraham Accords are a set of U.S.-mediated normalization arrangements launched in 2020 that pair a short Abraham Accords Declaration with country-specific bilateral normalization agreements with Israel. Initial signatories were the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain (September … Continue reading →

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White Paper: The Identity of the Wise Men of the Gospels — Biblical and Historical Context

Posted on November 7, 2025 by nathanalbright

I. Introduction The account of the Wise Men from the East visiting the infant Jesus (Matthew 2:1–12) has fascinated theologians, historians, and lay readers alike. While popular tradition imagines three kings visiting the manger, Scripture itself is more restrained, mentioning … Continue reading →

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