Lee Smith is a visiting Fellow at the Hudson Institute where he focuses his research, writing, and analysis on the greater Middle East, and is also currently a Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies where his area of impact includes Lebanon, Syria, and the Arab Spring. Mr. Smith’s eloquence and his vast knowledge of Arabic and Islamic affairs make him an important voice in Washington’s foreign policy community. Mr. Smith is the author of the critically-acclaimed book, The Strong Horse: Power, Politics, and the Clash of Arab Civilizations. He contributes commentary to The New York Times, The New Republic, The Weekly Standard, Slate.com, the Boston Globe, and Wired, and has been a guest on radio and television, including Fox News and National Public Radio. Mr. Smith holds a BA from The George Washington University, and studied Arabic at the American University in Cairo and Université Saint-Joseph in Beirut.