Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi

Writer & Founder of Barjeel Art Foundation

Press /

The Foreign Policy Top 100 Twitterati of 2013

AUTHOR: ALICIA P.Q. WITTMEYER of FOREIGN POLICY

A who’s who of the foreign-policy Twitterverse in 2013.

Politicians and Diplomats

  • Carl Bildt (@carlbildt): Swedish foreign minister and one of the most candid diplomats around.
  • Bill Clinton (@billclinton): 42nd U.S. president, Clinton Foundation founder, and Mick Jagger’s BFF.
  • Hillary Clinton (@hillaryclinton): The former U.S. secretary of state and human meme-generator doesn’t tweet at the same rate these days, but you’ll want to keep an eye on this feed as 2016 looms.
  • Pope Francis (@Pontifex): This feed, available in multiple languages, including Latin, is not only the best way to keep tabs on the unpredictable pontiff’s travels and activities. Following it can now actually get you into heaven.
  • John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain): Leader of the loyal opposition.
  • Michael McFaul (@McFaul): Barack Obama’s ambassador to Russia, live and occasionally uncensored.
  • Samantha Power (@ambassadorpower): The new U.S. ambassador to the United Nations is also new to Twitter, having just started an account on Aug. 5. But like her predecessor Susan Rice, she seems remarkably candid and open for a diplomat.

Economics

  • Chris Adams (@chrisadamsmkts): Markets editor at the Financial Times.
  • Tyler Cowen (@tylercowen): Professor of economics at George Mason University, author, ethnic-food expert, and pioneering econoblogger.
  • Megan Greene (@economistmeg): Frighteningly prescient chief economist at Maverick Intelligence, with a focus on the eurozone crisis.
  • Zero Hedge (@zerohedge): Shadowy and often hysterical, but always essential group feed on financial markets.
  • Branko Milanovic (@BrankoMilan): Expert on global inequality, soccer superfan.
  • Emily Oster (@ProfEmilyOster): University of Chicago economist and must-follow for social science geeks.
  • Nouriel Roubini (@Nouriel): New York University professor of economics and international business; prophet of doom.
  • Felix Salmon (@FelixSalmon): Eclectic finance blogger for Reuters.
  • Joseph Weisenthal (@TheStalwart): Hyperactive executive editor at Business Insider.

Europe

  • Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe): The New Republic senior editor may have left Moscow behind, but she still weighs in on events in the Motherland from Twitter.
  • Edward Lucas (@edwardlucas): International editor for the Economist, with a focus on Eastern Europe.
  • J. Clive Matthews (@Nosemonkey): Managing editor at MSN International, but tweets mainly about the European Union.
  • Peter Spiegel (@SpiegelPeter): Brussels bureau chief for the Financial Times and stalwart summit-tweeter.
  • Matina Stevis (@MatinaStevis): Brussels-based journalist for Dow Jones and the Wall Street Journal; a key follow on the European financial crisis.
  • Shaun Walker (@shaunwalker7): Moscow correspondent for the Independent.

Middle East

  • Issandr El Amrani (@arabist): Writer and analyst based in Cairo.
  • The Big Pharaoh (@TheBigPharaoh): This pseudonymous Egyptian blogger has been a must-read on his country’s tumultuous politics since 2004.
  • Sarah Carr (@Sarahcarr): Relentless British-Egyptian reporter and blogger. Her avatars are a rotating rogues’ gallery of her least-favorite Egyptian political figures.
  • Golnaz Esfandiari (@GEsfandiari): Iran reporter and blogger for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, based in Washington, D.C.
  • Ali Gharib (@Ali_Gharib): Brooklyn-based Middle East blogger and frequent Daily Beast contributor.
  • Jeffrey Goldberg (@JeffreyGoldberg): Washington-based correspondent for the Atlantic; official therapist of the U.S.-Israel relationship.
  • Hala Gorani (@halagorani): CNN International anchor and longtime Mideast correspondent.
  • Eliot Higgins (@Brown_Moses): The Britain-based blogger known as Brown Moses has made himself into an authority on Syrian weapons, with his work cited by everyone from Amnesty International to the New York Times.
  • Hussein Ibish (@ibishblog): Blogger and senior research fellow for the American Task Force on Palestine.
  • Tony Karon (@TonyKaron): Time‘s veteran, supersarcastic foreign affairs editor was recently hired by Al Jazeera America.
  • Robin Mills (@robinenergy): Dubai-based energy consultant and columnist.
  • Jenan Moussa (@jenanmoussa): Correspondent for the Al Aan satellite network; providing relentless coverage on Syria.
  • Eman Al Nafjan (@Saudiwoman): Saudi Arabia’s most prominent female blogger.
  • Ahmed Al Omran (@ahmed): The original Saudi blogger; now running Riyadh Bureau from Saudi Arabia.
  • Sultan Al Qassemi (@SultanAlQassemi): Prominent Emirati columnist, investor, and art aficionado; go-to source for breaking news from the Arab world.
  • Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid): Diplomatic correspondent for Haaretz. Scoop machine.
  • Mahmoud Salem (@Sandmonkey): Foul-mouthed Egyptian revolutionary blogger and son of a former ruling-party parliamentarian; based in Cairo.
  • Lara Setrakian (@lara): Roving correspondent and founder of the single-topic news site Syria Deeply.
  • Liz Sly (@LizSly): Beirut-based correspondent for the Washington Post. Essential on Syria.
  • Mahir Zeynalov (@MahirZeynalov): Istanbul-based journalist for Today’s Zaman.

Africa

  • Teju Cole (@tejucole): Nigerian-born novelist who hops between Lagos and Brooklyn.
  • Howard French (@hofrench): Journalism professor; former New York Times correspondent in Africa and China.
  • Calestous Juma (@calestous): Kenyan-born professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and authority on science and technology in Africa.
  • Andrew Mwenda (@AndrewMwenda): Managing editor of Uganda’s Independent magazine; aid critic.
  • Lydia Polgreen (@lpolgreen): New York Times bureau chief in Johannesburg; formerly in New Delhi.
  • Binyavanga Wainaina (@BinyavangaW): Kenyan author and director of the Chinua Achebe Center for African Writers and Artists at Bard College.

Latin America

  • Mariano Castillo (@marianoCNN): CNN’s Latin America news desk editor. A good all-purpose feed.
  • Damien Cave (@damiencave): New York Times correspondent in Mexico.
  • Simon Romero (@viaSimonRomero): New York Times bureau chief in Brazil.
  • Carol Rosenberg (@carolrosenberg): The Miami Herald‘s indefatigable Gitmo reporter.
  • Asia
  • Bill Bishop (@niubi): Beijing-based blogger and all-around China watcher; author of the Sinocism China Newsletter.
  • Adam Cathcart (@adamcathcart): Get your news, views, rumors, and weirdness on North Korea here.
  • Gady Epstein (@gadyepstein): Wickedly funny Beijing correspondent for the Economist; formerly with Forbes.
  • Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior): Often combative but always insightful Central Asia expert and media critic.
  • Jean Lee (@newsjean): The Associated Press’s Korea bureau chief and the only journalist to tweet (semi-)regularly from Pyongyang.
  • Hiroko Tabuchi (@HirokoTabuchi): Tokyo correspondent for the New York Times, tweeting on everything from high-tech to high art.
  • Edward Wong (@comradewong): China correspondent for the New York Times.

South Asia

  • Sadanand Dhume (@dhume): South Asia analyst at the American Enterprise Institute.
  • C. Christine Fair (@CChristineFair): Georgetown University assistant professor, dog lover, and sharp-tongued South Asia expert.
  • Arif Rafiq (@ArifCRafiq): Pakistani-American analyst and consultant based in Washington, D.C.
  • Declan Walsh (@declanwalsh): New York Times reporter who was recently expelled from his post in Pakistan; his location, “Islamabad, ideally.”

Wonks

  • J.M. Berger (@intelwire): A high-volume, high-energy feed focused primarily on counterterrorism, from a Boston-based journalist.
  • Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC): Presidential historian and exemplary history tweeter.
  • Michael Clemens (@m_clem): Wide-ranging scholar at the Center for Global Development.
  • David Gomez (@AllThingsHLS): Former FBI agent and emerging must-follow on homeland security issues.
  • Andrew Exum (@abumuqawama): Former Army Ranger, blogger, and counterinsurgency guru at the Center for a New American Security.
  • Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald): Love him or hate him, after he made PRISM a household name this year, you can’t afford to ignore him.
  • Will McCants (@will_mccants): Former counterterrorism analyst at the State Department; now an expert at CNA.
  • Danielle Pletka (@dpletka): Anyone interested in the future of Republican foreign policy should be following this Senate staffer turned American Enterprise Institute scholar.
  • Paul Salopek (@paulsalopek): Veteran journalist on a project to trace the history of human migration from Ethiopia to South America on foot. Currently somewhere in Saudi Arabia.
  • Erin M. Simpson (@charlie_simpson): Big issues meet big data with a side of Broadway.
  • Anne-Marie Slaughter (@SlaughterAM): Professor at Princeton University and former head of policy planning at the State Department.
  • Marcy Wheeler (@emptywheel): Michigan-based blogger and leading online critic of the national security state.
  • Asher Wolf (@Asher_Wolf): Tart-tongued Aussie information activist.
  • Lauren Wolfe (@Wolfe321): Director of the Women Under Siege project and authority on gender and conflict.

United Nations

  • Mark Leon Goldberg (@MarkLGoldberg): Blogger for the United Nations Foundation’s UN Dispatch, which covers the inner workings of Turtle Bay and Foggy Bottom.
  • Matthew Lee (@innercitypress): Eccentric but comprehensive U.N. coverage.

Tech

  • Rebecca MacKinnon (@rmack): Authority on the Internet and democracy with a special interest in China.
  • Evgeny Morozov (@evgenymorozov): Silicon Valley naysayer and chief scourge of “solutionism.”
  • Christopher Soghoian (@csoghoian): The American Civil Liberties Union’s resident tech guru and reggae fanatic.
  • Ethan Zuckerman (@EthanZ): Author, blogger, academic, and inventor of the cute-cat theory of digital activism.

Beltway Reporters

  • Spencer Ackerman (@attackerman): National security editor for the Guardian‘s U.S. edition; tweets on everything from the National Security Agency leaks to punk rock to the New York Yankees.
  • Margaret Brennan (@margbrennan): CBS correspondent following the State Department.
  • Emily Cadei (@emilycadei): Foreign-policy reporter for CQ Roll Call; useful source for goings-on on Capitol Hill.
  • Rosie Gray (@RosieGray): Reporter for BuzzFeed, exposer of foreign government lobbying shenanigans.
  • Josh Rogin (@joshrogin): Former FP Cable guy now plying his trade at the Daily Beast.
  • Laura Rozen (@lrozen): Veteran journalist reporting on Washington for the Middle East-focused news outlet Al-Monitor.

All-Around News and Views

  • Hayes Brown (@HayesBrown): High-volume feed from ThinkProgress‘s resident national security blogger.
  • Miriam Elder (@MiriamElder): Former Moscow correspondent turned foreign editor of BuzzFeed.
  • Mia Farrow (@MiaFarrow): Not just another celebrity do-gooder, the Rosemary’s Baby star dives headlong into debates on development and national security. Sadly didn’t actually watch Sharknado with Philip Roth.
  • Max Fisher (@Max_Fisher): Insightful and scary-fast Washington Post foreign affairs blogger.
  • David Grann (@DavidGrann): One of the world’s best magazine feature writers also has a charmingly eclectic Twitter presence.
  • Blake Hounshell (@blakehounshell): Former FP managing editor, now deputy editor of Politico magazine; still tweeting valuable insights on world news at a superhuman rate.
  • Anup Kaphle (@AnupKaphle): Digital foreign editor at the Washington Post aggressively tweeting on world news and national security.
  • Olga Khazan (@olgakhazan): Global editor for the Atlantic with a particular interest in Russia.
  • Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof): Crusading columnist for the New York Times; has traveled to every member of the axis of evil at least twice.
  • Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth): Outspoken executive director of Human Rights Watch.
  • Ben Smith (@BuzzFeedBen): Lightning-fast editor of BuzzFeed; ringleader of the American political Twittersphere.

FP’ers Who Tweet

  • Gordon Adams (@Gadams1941): American University professor and FP columnist.
  • Daniel Altman (@altmandaniel): FP economics columnist.
  • P.J. Aroon (@pjaroonFP): Copy chief, comma enforcer.
  • David Bosco (@multilateralist): American University professor and Multilateralist blogger.
  • Ian Bremmer (@ianbremmer): President of Eurasia Group and The Call blogger.
  • Rosa Brooks (@brooks_rosa): New America Foundation fellow and FP columnist.
  • Christian Caryl (@ccaryl): Columnist and editor of Democracy Lab.
  • Yochi Dreazen (@yochidreazen): Senior writer for international affairs.
  • Daniel Drezner (@dandrezner): Tufts University professor and FP blogger; zombie expert.
  • Rebecca Frankel (@becksfrankel): Special projects editor, war-dog author.
  • Uri Friedman (@UriLF): Deputy managing editor, Passport proprietor.
  • Elias Groll (@EliasGroll): Assistant editor, blogger, resident Swede.
  • Shane Harris (@shanewharris): Senior writer focusing on national security.
  • John Hudson (@John_Hudson): Staff writer, Cable blogger.
  • David Kenner (@DavidKenner): Cairo-based Middle East editor.
  • Charles Kenny (@charlesjkenny): FP contributing editor and fellow at the Center for Global Development; optimist.
  • Christina Larson (@larsonchristina): China-based contributing editor.
  • Gordon Lubold (@glubold): National security reporter and Situation Report writer.
  • Colum Lynch (@columlynch): U.N. reporter for the Washington Post and FP.
  • Marc Lynch (@abuaardvark): George Washington University professor and Middle East Channel editor.
  • Ty McCormick (@TyMccormick): Associate editor.
  • Aaron David Miller (@aarondmiller2): Former diplomat and FP columnist.
  • Neha Paliwal (@nehapl): Assistant Editor at Democracy Lab.
  • Ben Pauker (@benpauker): Managing editor.
  • Clyde Prestowitz (@clydeprestowitz): Economic Strategy Institute president and FP blogger.
  • John Reed (@ReedFP): Killer Apps blogger.
  • David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf): FP Group CEO and editor at large; weekly columnist.
  • Peter Scoblic (@PeterScoblic): Executive editor for analysis and commentary.
  • Noah Shachtman (@NoahShachtman): Executive editor for news.
  • Margaret Slattery (@margyslattery): Assistant managing editor.
  • Isaac Stone Fish (@isaacstonefish): Associate editor focusing on China.
  • J. Dana Stuster (@JDanaStuster): Assistant editor with a special interest in Yemen.
  • James Traub (@JamesTraub1): Author and FP columnist.
  • Stephen Walt (@StephenWalt): Harvard University international relations professor and FP blogger.
  • Alicia P.Q. Wittmeyer (@APQW): Assistant editor, exiled Californian.
  • Micah Zenko (@MicahZenko): Council on Foreign Relations fellow and FP columnist.
  • AfPak Channel (@afpakchannel)
  • Democracy Lab (@Democracy_Lab)
  • Foreign Policy (@ForeignPolicy)
  • FP Group (@TheFPGroup)
  • FP National Security (@FPNatSec)
  • Mideast Channel (@MideastChannel)

This article was originally posted in Foreign Policy on August 13, 2013.