Can Qatar Hedge Its Bets on Security Guarantors?

by Matthew Hedges and Giorgio Cafiero Saddam Hussein’s invasion and occupation of Kuwait in 1990/1991 taught Qatar that its alliance with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)’s powerhouse—Saudi Arabia—was an insufficient guarantee of security. One of Doha’s key takeaways from the… Continue Reading

Israel’s Threats Could Push It into Unnecessary War with Iran

by Shemuel Meir  Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu are striving together to cancel the JCPOA nuclear agreement with Iran. Even Netanyahu’s new mantra, that he only wants to “fix” the deal, is actually mean to bring about its cancelation in a… Continue Reading

Into the Afghan Abyss (Again)

by Alfred W. McCoy After nine months of confusion, chaos, and cascading tweets, Donald Trump’s White House has finally made one thing crystal clear: the U.S. is staying in Afghanistan to fight and — so they insist — win. “The killers… Continue Reading

Murder in The Hague: Saudi-Iranian Proxy War Heats Up

by James M. Dorsey Shot dead this week on a street in The Hague, Ahmad Mola Nissi may have died the violent life he lived, but his murder suggests a possible retching up of the proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran… Continue Reading