Tammy Swofford

It was with a great deal of interest that I read the commentary by Mehboob Qadir on the page of Daily Times on 12th February. I was captivated by his manner of introducing the reader to his topic. It was an excellent piece. “Tall, strong and shady trees do not grow in thin air, shifting […]

In an act of zip-line diplomacy, Egyptian President Abdel-Fatah al-Sissi was the first to send a congratulatory call to president-elect Donald Trump. His Majesty King Abdullah II also quickly hooked onto the zip-line and in flying fox fashion paid a visit to Vice President Mike Pence. Putting on his cassis, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu […]

As a journalist with international standing I live a Spinx-like existence. Agree to an interview and I will offer a reasonable level of confidentiality. Given to a mercurial level of curiosity I will then report out pertinent thoughts. Contacts and networks are horded like grandmother’s heirlooms. It is also a distinct pleasure to be an […]

  Gathered at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to protest President Trump’s temporary ban which effects seven nations targeted for security considerations, the Muslims bowed in prayer. As the image came across the news wire I asked the usual questions: Who, what, when, where, how and why? Led by activist Sheikh Omar Suleiman, the image is […]

If there is a film which accurately depicts what has just occurred in America’s political life, it is the 1984 comedy classic ‘Revenge of the Nerds’. To set the stage for my thoughts, let me bring readers up to speed on the basic plot. Two loyal friends, nerds to the point of ridiculous, enrol at […]

We do not know what is going on behind closed doors. The White House is a gated community. And this is the manner in which it functions best: a gate with the word “trust” emblazoned across it. But our President is sending out a few public signals. With a Twitter following which has climbed to […]

Hamas has been called many things, but it is really only one thing. Let’s take the snake out of the basket. We should be less than charmed. For the State Department of the United States, Hamas falls under the category of an FTO, or foreign terrorist organization. The organization received this designation from us on […]

Research involving a topic of interest is collapsed into a two-year envelope. It then opens up into a prediction for two years in advance. Having closely followed the personae of President-elect Donald J. Trump for 18 months, I choose to take a leap from a cliff of intuitiveness and catapult forward into the year 2020. […]

The Council of the Ungodly was gathered for their monthly meeting. The rank on the epaulette of the senior member was that of a black scorpion with a red tail. Quickly drumming his thick fingers on the table with the staccato sound of an M-16, he called the meeting to order. “Infantry: report!” A thin […]

When Emperor Valentinian-II embarked on restoring the Altar of Victory to the Senate house and renewing the Republic’s vigour for the worship of the traditional gods, he received a letter of support from the Roman Prefect, Symmachus. It stated, in part: “We ask, then, for peace for the gods of our country. It is just […]