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Public interest in most of the Middle East was slight at that time; the Arab-Israeli conflict was all that people were interested in and that was not my specialty.

You have to look at the history of the Middle East in particular. It has been one of failure and frustration, of feudalism and tribalism.

Oh, it's essential. I mean, you have to - if I'm writing about the Middle East, I have to go there, and if possible, stay long enough to get a real feeling for what's going on.

The Middle East is obviously an issue that has plagued the region for centuries.

A huge amount of what goes on in the Middle East has to do with people being fed really bad information.

In the Middle East, the conflict today is a matter of generations and not of cultures.

Nothing in the Middle East is ever forgotten or forgiven.

I must try desperately to absorb all information I can about the Middle East. I want to excel. I want to speak articulately about the politics of the Middle East and its religion.

The Middle East is ailing. The malady stems from pervasive violence, shortages of food, water and educational opportunities, discrimination against women and - the most virulent cause of all - the absence of freedom.