Saudi Arabia Braces for Tougher Post-Election U.S. Attitude

by James M. Dorsey Saudi Arabia is bracing itself for a potentially more strained relationship with the United States in the wake of Democrats gaining control of the House of Representatives in this week’s mid-term elections and mounting Turkish efforts… Continue Reading

Will House Democrats End U.S. Involvement in Yemen War?

by Giorgio Cafiero The success of congressional Democrats, who took back control of the House of Representatives in yesterday’s midterm elections, poses new challenges for the White House. It will no longer have a Republican-dominated Congress to work with throughout… Continue Reading

Khashoggi Affair: Will US Now Put Its Interests First in Middle East?

by Robert E. Hunter Yesterday, President Donald Trump snapped back all sanctions on Iran that were removed as the U.S. part of the bargain under the July 2015 nuclear deal (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA). That agreement… Continue Reading

Bahrain’s Unending Shia Repression

by Emile Nakhleh Amid the Saudi-caused horrific human tragedy in Yemen and the ongoing investigation into the premeditated murder of Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, the Bahraini regime has imposed a life sentence on Shia cleric Sheikh… Continue Reading

Mohammed bin Salman: Too Big to Fail

by Thomas W. Lippman A month after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, an international consensus is emerging about how to respond: deplore the crime, demand justice, but don’t cut ties with the kingdom.… Continue Reading