What the Arabian Gulf States Want: Iran Kept at Bay
This week, President Obama will gather kings, emirs and sheiks from the oil-rich monarchies of the Arabian Gulf at Camp David for a summit aimed at bolstering the U.S. alliance with their Sunni Muslim government.
France Overtaking Britain as Gulf States’ Main European Ally
France is quickly becoming the most important European ally to the Gulf States, after President Francois Hollande made a landmark visit to the region and clinched an important deal. On Tuesday, Hollande won a £4.5 billion defense contract to sell 24 Rafale fighter jets to Qatar.
Saudi-led Coalition Accuses Houthis of ‘hiding’ Among Yemeni Civilians
On Saturday, the Saudi-led coalition reiterated its calls for Yemeni civilians to evacuate the Houthi stronghold of Saada, accusing the Iranian-backed militia group of “hiding” among civilians in the northwestern region, which has become the coalition’s main target for its continuous airstrikes.
Conflicting Aims, Limited Means: Russia in the Middle East – Analysis
In Ukraine in particular and Europe more generally, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been pursuing an activist foreign policy agenda that Europe and the United States (US) are having difficulty responding to. For example, Brussels and Washington have been unsuccessful in…
Iran Letter Divides Democrats
The same divide does not surround legislation that would give Congress an up-or-down vote on any nuclear deal finalized between Iran, the United States and five other global powers. Democratic leaders have endorsed that legislation, which sailed through the Senate 98-1 on Thursday and is expected to soon pass through the House with broad bipartisan support.
The Nuclear Deal With Iran: Strategic Implications
In early April Iran and the P5+1 announced that they have reached a framework agreement to end the decades-long dispute over the country’s nuclear program. Iran has accepted several limitations on the number of its centrifuges, the size of its stockpile of enriched uranium and the…
Syria Is Using Chemical Weapons Again, Rescue Workers Say
Eyes watering, struggling to breathe, Abd al-Mouin, 22, dragged his nephews from a house reeking of noxious fumes, then briefly blacked out. Even fresh air, he recalled, was “burning my lungs.”
Islam, Governance, and the Brotherhood
I began these reflections with talk of the Muslim Brotherhood movement in Jordan and the fact that the Jordanian government turned on them after a long alliance; thus following the trend across the Arab monarchies to cut off movements that they perceived as having turned from an asset to a burden.
US, Gulf Allies Seek Agreement on New Security Measures – Kerry
The Obama administration faces a formidable challenge to allay Gulf Arab fears over a nuclear deal with Tehran. The United States and its Gulf allies will try to agree on new security measures at a summit in Washington next week to guard against…
US Government Offers $20m Rewards for Information on ‘Four Leaders of ISIS’
The US government has offered $20million in rewards for information which leads to the whereabouts of four people it claims are top leaders of Isis. The State Department claims each of the men has a high-ranking role within the militant group and has offered rewards worth millions of dollars for each individual.
