A Tiny But Positive Step in the Middle East

by Thomas W. Lippman In the unending panorama of violence that is today’s Middle East, one hopeful note emerged earlier this month with a low-key announcement from Saudi Arabia that drew scant attention from the American news media. King Salman… Continue Reading

Crown Princes: Was the DC Trip Worth It?

by Emile Nakhleh As Gulf Arab crown princes and emirs sat around the table with President Barack Obama in Washington and at Camp David this week, Gulf media and experts opined whether the trip would produce tangible results and questioned whether… Continue Reading

US-GCC Summit: Agenda Overload, Leaders at Odds

by Wayne White Statements after the current summit between the United States and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will likely be upbeat. But they will obscure the difficult-to-resolve tensions during the May 13-14 talks. Iranian nuclear diplomacy will be central.… Continue Reading

Political Earthquake Hits Saudi Arabia?

 by Emile Nakleh In the early morning of Wednesday April 29, the Saudi King Salman issued 25 royal decrees announcing major succession and other personnel changes that created shockwaves in Saudi Arabia and across the Arab world. These decrees were… Continue Reading

The Importance of the Iran Agreement

by Paul R. Pillar A dominant reaction to the framework agreement on Iran’s nuclear program, based especially on the State Department’s fact sheet about the deal, is that it is remarkably detailed and thorough. The lead article in the New York… Continue Reading