“We’re in trouble” in the Middle East, according to the retired U.S. Army brigadier general and best-selling military thriller author who also happens to oversee the N.C. Department of Transportation.

Tony Tata offered his assessment of the Middle East during a presentation Monday to the John Locke Foundation’s Shaftesbury Society. Promoting the release of his latest novel, Foreign And Domestic, Tata also answered questions about real-life defense-related threats to American safety.

In the video clip below, Tata addressed a question about current American policy in the volatile Middle East.

Click here to watch the full 42:18 presentation.