Most of my writing for general audiences is on topics related to Asia, politics, or both. For my academic writing on nerdier topics, please see next tab.
In The Atlantic
“China’s Troubling New Military Strategy Is Coming Into View.” The Atlantic, May 5, 2022. link
“Democracy, Human Rights, and A Punch in the Face.” The Atlantic, September 9, 2021. link
“Democracy Needs India.” The Atlantic, June 10, 2021. link
“The Original Sin of the War in Afghanistan.” The Atlantic, April 20, 2021. link
“China Bends Another American Institution to Its Will.” The Atlantic, October 10, 2019. link
“What Malaysia Can Teach America’s Aging Leadership,” The Atlantic, September 12, 2019. link
“India Just Put Democracy at Risk Across South Asia.” The Atlantic, August 8, 2019. link
“Weaponizing Religion in the Biggest Election on Earth,” The Atlantic, May 23, 2019. link
“How the (Once) Most Corrupt Country in the World got Clean(er), The Atlantic, May 2, 2019. link
“The Strange Thai Insurgents Who Like Sorcery and Get High on Cough Syrup,” The Atlantic, May 7, 2013. link
In Foreign Affairs
“How Biden Can Salvage Middle East Peace—and His Legacy.” Foreign Affairs, November 27, 2024. Link
“How Biden Can Get Tough on Netanyahu: The Pressure Points that Give America Leverage.” Foreign Affairs, March 14, 2024. Link
“What Jokowi’s Reelection Means for Indonesia,” Foreign Affairs, April 22, 2019. Link
“The Corleones of Kabul: The U.S.-Afghan Divorce and the Karzai Family.” Foreign Affairs, October 12, 2016. link
“Defining the Relationship: What Pakistan and Saudi Arabia Want From Each Other.” Foreign Affairs, June 16, 2015. link
“Give Ghani a Chance: Why This Time Is Different.” Foreign Affairs, March 31, 2015. link
“Thank You for Being a Friend: Pakistan and China’s Almost Alliance,” Foreign Affairs, October 15, 2015. link
“Afghanistan’s Best Bet: Can Ghani and Abdullah Save Their Country?” Foreign Affairs, September 24, 2014. link
“Good Guy Gamble: What to Expect from Indonesia’s Jokowi.” Foreign Affairs, July 16, 2014. link
“Victory, Afghan Style: The Good News—and Bad— About the Recent Election.” Foreign Affairs, June 22, 2014. link
“A Milder Modi? What to Expect in a BJP-Led India.” Foreign Affairs, May 16, 2014. Link
“Invading Afghanistan, Then and Now: What Washington Should Learn from Wars Past.” Foreign Affairs, Vol. 90, No. 5 (September/October 2011), pp 156-162. link
“Kashmir: Fundamentalism Takes Root.” Foreign Affairs, Vol. 78, No. 6 (November/December 1999), pp 36-53. link
In other outlets
“Seoul Brothers: Donald Trump and South Korea’s Wannabe Dictator.” Washington Monthly, December 6, 2024. Link
“A New U.S. Strategy in the Wake of Gaza: Great Powers Can’t Bluff,” N Magazine (New Lines Instiutute), July 29, 2024. Link
“I Worked for and Support Joe Biden. “We Need Radical Candor From His Team—and Those Who Want Him to Quit the Race,” Washington Monthly, July 2, 2024. Link
“Duterte, the Philippine Trump, Bids Farewell.” Washington Monthly, June 30, 2022. Link
“Trump’s Worst Pardons: Pardoning killers doesn’t eliminate the war crime.” Inkstick, January 5, 2021. Link
“Biden Can Bounce Back From Afghanistan— By Vaccinating the World.” Foreign Policy, September 10, 2021. Link
“Myanmar Coup: First Foreign Policy Test for President Biden.” Newsweek, February 9, 2021. Link
“The Afterparade: No Breakthroughs— And That’s Just Fine.” Foreign Policy, February 2, 2015. Link
“From Glasgow to Kashmir: Will Scotland’s Vote Spur Separatism in Asia?” Foreign Policy, September 20, 2014. Link
“Let’s Talk About Kashmir: Could Modi, Islamabad, and the U.S. troop drawdown in Afghanistan make the disputed territory the world’s next terrorist hotspot?” Foreign Policy, September 5, 2014. Link
“The Bergdahl-Taliban Prisoner Exchange Isn’t New, but Presents Unique Questions.” Rand.org, June 4, 2014. Link
“Is There a Hidden Message in the Taliban’s 2014 Fighting Season Plan?” Foreign Policy, May 29, 2014. Link
“The Flight 370 Mystery Gets Political.” U.S. News & World Report, March 18, 2014. Link
“U.S.-India Dispute: A Diplomat and a Double-Standard Laid Bare.” Reuters.com, January 8, 2014. Link
“How Disaster Relief Abroad Aid Helps USA,” USA Today, November 11, 2013. Link
“Who’s Bombing Myanmar?” CNN.com, October 30, 2013.
Link“The Passing of Vietnam’s General Vo Nguyen Giap.” RAND.org, October 8, 2013. Link
"Obama's Burmese Gamble." Project Syndicate, July 10, 2013. Link"A Frontier on Low Boil." RAND.org, July 1, 2013: Link
“How to Negotiate Like a Pashtun: A Field Guide to Dealing with the Taliban” Foreign Policy, June 3, 2013. Link
“What Bangladesh— and US retailers— must do to prevent man-made tragedies.” Christian Science Monitor, May 16, 2013. Link“Pakistan Elections: More Continuity than Change.” Rand.org, May 8, 2013. Link
“Is Asia’s forgotten revolt about to explode?” CNN.com, February 25, 2013. Link
“Obama and Myanmar.” Christian Science Monitor, November 19, 2012. Link“Difficult Questions on Afghanistan and Pakistan.” RAND.org, October 17, 2012. Link
“Unleashing the Tiger” [Review of India Unbound by Gurucharan Das]. The Washington Post, Book World, March 11, 2001, p. 3.
“So Much History, So Little Time.” [Review of Karen Armstrong’s Islam: A Short History]. Beliefnet.com, October 2000.
“Unitarians With Daggers: An Introduction to the Sikhs.” [Review of The Sikhs by Patwant Singh]. Beliefnet.com, 2000.
“Terror Rules in East Timor: Anti-independence militias rampage as world stands by.” U.S. News & World Report, September 20, 1999, pp. 41-42.
“East Timor Votes and Bleeds.” U.S. News & World Report, September 13, 1999, p. 32.
“A High-Stakes Kind of Place: Lofty Kashmir may literally be the most dangerous place in the world.” U.S. News & World Report, July 19, 1999, p. 32-33.
“A Dangerous Clash in Kashmir.” U.S. News & World Report, June 7, 1999, p. 12.
“Speaking for Themselves: For the Ainu of Japan, long-denied cultural recognition.” U.S. News & World Report, May 3, 1999, pp. 52-53.
“Penny Saved Department: A Nest Egg Grows in Washington.” The New Yorker, January 18, 1999, p. 25. Link
“Joy in the Jungle, At Last: After years of war, East Timor finally may win autonomy.” U.S. News & World Report, November 9, 1998, p. 38-40
“The Fallout of Pokhran.” Parabaas.com, 1998 [Bengali & English]
“Life in the Fasting Lane: Suharto’s Family Has Prospered, but Indonesians Suffer.” U.S. News & World Report, January 26, 1998
“The Greater Struggle.” [Comment- jihad and boxing]. U.S. News & World Report, June 30, 1997
“Want Peacekeepers with Spine? Hire the World’s Fiercest Mercenaries.” [Comment] U.S. News & World Report, 12/30/1996 - 1/6/1997
“The Body as Temple, the Body as Prison: In India, a beauty crowned, a man in flames.” [Comment] U.S. News & World Report, December 9, 1996
“Quotas that are Cast in Stone: India’s Backlash Against Affirmative Action.” U.S. News & World Report, March 27, 1995
“Communism Takes Root in the Himalayas.” U.S. News & World Report, November 28, 1994
“Bombay’s Rat Patrol Takes On the Plague.” U.S. News & World Report, October 10, 1994
“A fundamental threat to India’s democracy.” Boston Globe, December 12, 1992
“Kurdish rebels benefit from Turkish tactics.” The Toronto Star, September 6, 1992
“Castes still grip India.” The Orlando Sentinel, September 24, 1990
“Religious warfare brewing: Town in India mired in sacred site feud.” The Orlando Sentinel, March 27, 1990
“Extremists, criminals often indistinguishable in Punjab.” Dallas Morning News, March 29, 1990
“In Japan, Student Communists Wear Tweed.” The Asahi Evening News, March 9, 1987
“Rockwell to Seek Out Japanese Technology.” The Asahi Evening News, December 2, 1986
“U.S. General Notes Importance of Close Ties.” The Asahi Evening News, November 26, 1986
“Arab Bank Poised for Far East Expansion.” The Asahi Evening News, October 30, 1986
“Young Urges Moderation on Trade, S. Nakasone.” The Asahi Evening News, October 1, 1986
“Japan Promises EC a Reform of Liquor Law.” The Asahi Evening News, September 30, 1986