Daniel Pipes, a historian, is president of the Middle East Forum. A former official in the U.S. departments of State and Defense, he has taught at the University of Chicago, Harvard University, the U.S. Naval War College, and Pepperdine University. He has written twelve books and his website, DanielPipes.org, with a near-complete archive of his writings, has recorded 63 million page visits. He writes a bi-weekly column for the Washington Times, National Review, and other publications; his writings have been translated into 36 languages. Two U.S. presidents have appointed Mr. Pipes to government positions. Al-Qaeda has invited him to convert to Islam, Edward Kennedy booked him, and Edward Said called him an “Orientalist.” His current focus is on the Middle Eastern political upheavals.