Akbar Shahid Ahmed
@akbarshahidahmed.huffpost.com
Senior Diplomatic Correspondent at HuffPost // Writing a book on Gaza and the Biden administration for W. W. Norton // he/him
Say hi: akbar.58 on Signal or [email protected]
Say hi: akbar.58 on Signal or [email protected]
Now leading HuffPost—
My deep dive on a warning sign for foreign policy-making under Trump + Rubio: lawyers at the State Dept now fear unprecedented retaliation if they provide honest legal advice about big, damaging policies from boat strikes to mass deportations
www.huffpost.com/entry/state-...
My deep dive on a warning sign for foreign policy-making under Trump + Rubio: lawyers at the State Dept now fear unprecedented retaliation if they provide honest legal advice about big, damaging policies from boat strikes to mass deportations
www.huffpost.com/entry/state-...
December 27, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Now leading HuffPost—
My deep dive on a warning sign for foreign policy-making under Trump + Rubio: lawyers at the State Dept now fear unprecedented retaliation if they provide honest legal advice about big, damaging policies from boat strikes to mass deportations
www.huffpost.com/entry/state-...
My deep dive on a warning sign for foreign policy-making under Trump + Rubio: lawyers at the State Dept now fear unprecedented retaliation if they provide honest legal advice about big, damaging policies from boat strikes to mass deportations
www.huffpost.com/entry/state-...
Amid already significant fears among State Department staff that they will be evaluated based on fealty to Trump’s agenda & professional advice/work for past admins can lead to consequences, today brings another warning from a top Rubio aide.
Want to discuss? I’m on Signal at akbar.58 (anon ok).
Want to discuss? I’m on Signal at akbar.58 (anon ok).
December 23, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Amid already significant fears among State Department staff that they will be evaluated based on fealty to Trump’s agenda & professional advice/work for past admins can lead to consequences, today brings another warning from a top Rubio aide.
Want to discuss? I’m on Signal at akbar.58 (anon ok).
Want to discuss? I’m on Signal at akbar.58 (anon ok).
8 Jewish orgs ask Trump + Rubio to end their expanded travel ban, noting the bar on Palestinian Authority documents "forecloses access for students, medical patients, civil society actors + family members... compounding harm to civilians while doing nothing to advance security" amid claims of peace.
December 23, 2025 at 4:05 PM
8 Jewish orgs ask Trump + Rubio to end their expanded travel ban, noting the bar on Palestinian Authority documents "forecloses access for students, medical patients, civil society actors + family members... compounding harm to civilians while doing nothing to advance security" amid claims of peace.
Critiquing media coverage of antisemitism, Vance is here promoting a version of Great Replacement Theory — a white nationalist idea that has itself been repeatedly linked to horrific violence against Jews.
December 15, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Critiquing media coverage of antisemitism, Vance is here promoting a version of Great Replacement Theory — a white nationalist idea that has itself been repeatedly linked to horrific violence against Jews.
Leading HuffPost: The Trump era has seen an exodus of lawyers from the State Department—increasing the risk of US foreign policy moves that break the law
The little-noticed development is directly linked to the question of the “double tap” & the Caribbean campaign.
www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-...
The little-noticed development is directly linked to the question of the “double tap” & the Caribbean campaign.
www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-...
December 6, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Leading HuffPost: The Trump era has seen an exodus of lawyers from the State Department—increasing the risk of US foreign policy moves that break the law
The little-noticed development is directly linked to the question of the “double tap” & the Caribbean campaign.
www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-...
The little-noticed development is directly linked to the question of the “double tap” & the Caribbean campaign.
www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-...
At least 1004 Palestinians killed in the West Bank since US-backed Israeli forces & settlers began escalating violence after 10/7/2023, B’Tselem reports. 217 were children. Several were US citizens.
“In the 21 cases where settlers killed Palestinians, not a single perpetrator has been convicted”
“In the 21 cases where settlers killed Palestinians, not a single perpetrator has been convicted”
November 23, 2025 at 5:00 PM
At least 1004 Palestinians killed in the West Bank since US-backed Israeli forces & settlers began escalating violence after 10/7/2023, B’Tselem reports. 217 were children. Several were US citizens.
“In the 21 cases where settlers killed Palestinians, not a single perpetrator has been convicted”
“In the 21 cases where settlers killed Palestinians, not a single perpetrator has been convicted”
Under Biden, General Erik Kurilla was closer to Israel than almost anyone else in government.
Under Trump, he delivered on Israeli + US hardliners' dream of joint US-Isr attacks on Iran.
Now he's joining the hawkish Washington Institute for Near East Policy to continue shaping US discourse & choices
Under Trump, he delivered on Israeli + US hardliners' dream of joint US-Isr attacks on Iran.
Now he's joining the hawkish Washington Institute for Near East Policy to continue shaping US discourse & choices
November 21, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Under Biden, General Erik Kurilla was closer to Israel than almost anyone else in government.
Under Trump, he delivered on Israeli + US hardliners' dream of joint US-Isr attacks on Iran.
Now he's joining the hawkish Washington Institute for Near East Policy to continue shaping US discourse & choices
Under Trump, he delivered on Israeli + US hardliners' dream of joint US-Isr attacks on Iran.
Now he's joining the hawkish Washington Institute for Near East Policy to continue shaping US discourse & choices
An Epstein cameo was not the end to the work week I was expecting…
(spotted by @ryangrim.bsky.social 🙏🏽)
(spotted by @ryangrim.bsky.social 🙏🏽)
November 15, 2025 at 1:46 AM
An Epstein cameo was not the end to the work week I was expecting…
(spotted by @ryangrim.bsky.social 🙏🏽)
(spotted by @ryangrim.bsky.social 🙏🏽)
My book on the Biden administration’s Gaza policy, CROSSING THE RED LINE, is soon entering production. I’m so excited to share it with you in 2026
In the meantime, if you want to share info about US officials’ choices around the war, you can always reach me at akbar.58 on Signal; anonymity is fine
In the meantime, if you want to share info about US officials’ choices around the war, you can always reach me at akbar.58 on Signal; anonymity is fine
November 8, 2025 at 9:03 PM
My book on the Biden administration’s Gaza policy, CROSSING THE RED LINE, is soon entering production. I’m so excited to share it with you in 2026
In the meantime, if you want to share info about US officials’ choices around the war, you can always reach me at akbar.58 on Signal; anonymity is fine
In the meantime, if you want to share info about US officials’ choices around the war, you can always reach me at akbar.58 on Signal; anonymity is fine
~70 people have now been killed by the US in waters around South America without proof of criminality, an imminent threat, due process or a strategy beyond bombing or a bigger war.
Hours ago, 51 Republican senators quashed a bipartisan effort to rein this policy in:
www.huffpost.com/entry/senate...
Hours ago, 51 Republican senators quashed a bipartisan effort to rein this policy in:
www.huffpost.com/entry/senate...
November 7, 2025 at 3:59 AM
~70 people have now been killed by the US in waters around South America without proof of criminality, an imminent threat, due process or a strategy beyond bombing or a bigger war.
Hours ago, 51 Republican senators quashed a bipartisan effort to rein this policy in:
www.huffpost.com/entry/senate...
Hours ago, 51 Republican senators quashed a bipartisan effort to rein this policy in:
www.huffpost.com/entry/senate...
Another day, another Biden aide saying their disastrous Gaza policy should guide the US now. This time it's Jamie Rubin, who a fellow senior State Dept official under Biden told me colleagues saw as a "joke"
Remarkable—& revealing about the US foreign policy establishment—that figures continue to..
Remarkable—& revealing about the US foreign policy establishment—that figures continue to..
October 27, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Another day, another Biden aide saying their disastrous Gaza policy should guide the US now. This time it's Jamie Rubin, who a fellow senior State Dept official under Biden told me colleagues saw as a "joke"
Remarkable—& revealing about the US foreign policy establishment—that figures continue to..
Remarkable—& revealing about the US foreign policy establishment—that figures continue to..
"The @rescue.org currently has > 500 tonnes of medical equipment & hygiene supplies ready to dispatch to Gaza, but has still not been able to move this life saving aid across the border due to ongoing bureaucratic delays by the Israeli authorities."
October 22, 2025 at 1:05 PM
"The @rescue.org currently has > 500 tonnes of medical equipment & hygiene supplies ready to dispatch to Gaza, but has still not been able to move this life saving aid across the border due to ongoing bureaucratic delays by the Israeli authorities."
Clarity from @unicef.org on the theft of aid intended for ~2700 malnourished Palestinian children: "A sustainable ceasefire [in Gaza] is essential to create an environment where such incidents no longer occur, and aid can reach those who need it most – safely, quickly, and effectively.”
September 19, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Clarity from @unicef.org on the theft of aid intended for ~2700 malnourished Palestinian children: "A sustainable ceasefire [in Gaza] is essential to create an environment where such incidents no longer occur, and aid can reach those who need it most – safely, quickly, and effectively.”
In helping Israel pummel Gaza, US officials (particularly Biden aides) increasingly worried about being personally implicated in war crimes.
Today's UN finding of genocide is a big signal they could be held responsible for, among other matters, failing to stop it per their international obligations
Today's UN finding of genocide is a big signal they could be held responsible for, among other matters, failing to stop it per their international obligations
September 16, 2025 at 8:03 PM
In helping Israel pummel Gaza, US officials (particularly Biden aides) increasingly worried about being personally implicated in war crimes.
Today's UN finding of genocide is a big signal they could be held responsible for, among other matters, failing to stop it per their international obligations
Today's UN finding of genocide is a big signal they could be held responsible for, among other matters, failing to stop it per their international obligations
Impossible to reckon with America’s role in Gaza or offer an alternative, more humane policy without acknowledging this is how Biden behaved for 16 months, establishing a brutal bipartisan permission structure: pushing rhetoric understood as hollow while US weapons & Palestinian blood kept flowing.
August 25, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Impossible to reckon with America’s role in Gaza or offer an alternative, more humane policy without acknowledging this is how Biden behaved for 16 months, establishing a brutal bipartisan permission structure: pushing rhetoric understood as hollow while US weapons & Palestinian blood kept flowing.
Depressing update on underfunding at the UN's human rights office.
Amid 3 major wars (Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine) and other conflicts, the wealthy governments that are fueling bloodshed (from the US & Russia to smaller states like the UAE) are making it harder to chart the human cost of their choices.
Amid 3 major wars (Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine) and other conflicts, the wealthy governments that are fueling bloodshed (from the US & Russia to smaller states like the UAE) are making it harder to chart the human cost of their choices.
August 18, 2025 at 7:58 PM
Depressing update on underfunding at the UN's human rights office.
Amid 3 major wars (Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine) and other conflicts, the wealthy governments that are fueling bloodshed (from the US & Russia to smaller states like the UAE) are making it harder to chart the human cost of their choices.
Amid 3 major wars (Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine) and other conflicts, the wealthy governments that are fueling bloodshed (from the US & Russia to smaller states like the UAE) are making it harder to chart the human cost of their choices.
Worth noting, from a veteran reporter:
August 11, 2025 at 4:07 AM
Worth noting, from a veteran reporter:
Leading @huffpost.com tonight: our story on the landmark vote by more than a quarter of US senators to reject an American weapons sale to Israel — the strongest message yet from Washington amid starvation in Gaza driven by US + Israeli policy choices.
July 31, 2025 at 3:02 AM
Leading @huffpost.com tonight: our story on the landmark vote by more than a quarter of US senators to reject an American weapons sale to Israel — the strongest message yet from Washington amid starvation in Gaza driven by US + Israeli policy choices.
AIPAC praises the Trump admin for rejecting this effort (ensuring there was no Republican support) & claims there was resounding opposition - though they lost nearly 10% of the Senate compared to the last time there was this kind of vote.
July 31, 2025 at 2:17 AM
AIPAC praises the Trump admin for rejecting this effort (ensuring there was no Republican support) & claims there was resounding opposition - though they lost nearly 10% of the Senate compared to the last time there was this kind of vote.
🚨 Senators will vote tomorrow on whether to stop US weapons packages for Israel over starvation in Gaza
Key:
-Whether the bid gets > the 19 votes among Democrats & allies a similar bid won in November 2024 (only 15 this April)
-If the seeming MAGA shift on Isr translates to any Republican votes
Key:
-Whether the bid gets > the 19 votes among Democrats & allies a similar bid won in November 2024 (only 15 this April)
-If the seeming MAGA shift on Isr translates to any Republican votes
July 29, 2025 at 11:33 PM
🚨 Senators will vote tomorrow on whether to stop US weapons packages for Israel over starvation in Gaza
Key:
-Whether the bid gets > the 19 votes among Democrats & allies a similar bid won in November 2024 (only 15 this April)
-If the seeming MAGA shift on Isr translates to any Republican votes
Key:
-Whether the bid gets > the 19 votes among Democrats & allies a similar bid won in November 2024 (only 15 this April)
-If the seeming MAGA shift on Isr translates to any Republican votes
Now leading HuffPost: An American doctor just back from Gaza explains why thousands of deaths among Palestinian children are likely over the next 2 months because of choices by US and Israeli officials.
www.huffpost.com/entry/gaza-s...
www.huffpost.com/entry/gaza-s...
July 28, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Now leading HuffPost: An American doctor just back from Gaza explains why thousands of deaths among Palestinian children are likely over the next 2 months because of choices by US and Israeli officials.
www.huffpost.com/entry/gaza-s...
www.huffpost.com/entry/gaza-s...
Brauner was struck by attacks on Palestinians seeking aid—shots that seemed especially brutal, like those targeting the groin area, spurring particular pain+complications
He thinks often of the "generational trauma" that he expects will set in both in Israel, especially among troops, & in Palestine
He thinks often of the "generational trauma" that he expects will set in both in Israel, especially among troops, & in Palestine
July 28, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Brauner was struck by attacks on Palestinians seeking aid—shots that seemed especially brutal, like those targeting the groin area, spurring particular pain+complications
He thinks often of the "generational trauma" that he expects will set in both in Israel, especially among troops, & in Palestine
He thinks often of the "generational trauma" that he expects will set in both in Israel, especially among troops, & in Palestine
..inconceivable pressure
-food supplies for hospital staff shut down; they're now fainting while working
-family regularly killed
-no clear future; depression/suicidal thoughts common
Still, Brauner said he was "buoyed" by Palestinians' work ethic & refusal to be hateful towards Israel or Jews
-food supplies for hospital staff shut down; they're now fainting while working
-family regularly killed
-no clear future; depression/suicidal thoughts common
Still, Brauner said he was "buoyed" by Palestinians' work ethic & refusal to be hateful towards Israel or Jews
July 28, 2025 at 5:11 PM
..inconceivable pressure
-food supplies for hospital staff shut down; they're now fainting while working
-family regularly killed
-no clear future; depression/suicidal thoughts common
Still, Brauner said he was "buoyed" by Palestinians' work ethic & refusal to be hateful towards Israel or Jews
-food supplies for hospital staff shut down; they're now fainting while working
-family regularly killed
-no clear future; depression/suicidal thoughts common
Still, Brauner said he was "buoyed" by Palestinians' work ethic & refusal to be hateful towards Israel or Jews
..& as Brauner operated on them, their ribs were fully visible & they had festering wounds from past injuries+treatment
Healing is impossible amid malnutrition + relatives trying to care for each other are themselves too weak; older people could not swallow "because their brain stem was too floppy"
Healing is impossible amid malnutrition + relatives trying to care for each other are themselves too weak; older people could not swallow "because their brain stem was too floppy"
July 28, 2025 at 5:04 PM
..& as Brauner operated on them, their ribs were fully visible & they had festering wounds from past injuries+treatment
Healing is impossible amid malnutrition + relatives trying to care for each other are themselves too weak; older people could not swallow "because their brain stem was too floppy"
Healing is impossible amid malnutrition + relatives trying to care for each other are themselves too weak; older people could not swallow "because their brain stem was too floppy"
Trump aides argue diplomacy will be easier if the US is not highlighting issues in other countries
But the risk of overlooking major problems with knock-on effects for the US, for the sake of cozy relationships with dodgy foreign capitals, was why many of the affected specialized teams were built
But the risk of overlooking major problems with knock-on effects for the US, for the sake of cozy relationships with dodgy foreign capitals, was why many of the affected specialized teams were built
July 26, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Trump aides argue diplomacy will be easier if the US is not highlighting issues in other countries
But the risk of overlooking major problems with knock-on effects for the US, for the sake of cozy relationships with dodgy foreign capitals, was why many of the affected specialized teams were built
But the risk of overlooking major problems with knock-on effects for the US, for the sake of cozy relationships with dodgy foreign capitals, was why many of the affected specialized teams were built