The Khashoggi Case and Tribalism Run Amok

by Paul R. Pillar The Trump administration’s handling of the Jamal Khashoggi affair and the domestic U.S. politics associated with it display an extreme form of tribalism on two levels. This type of tribalism involves drawing rigid lines according to… Continue Reading

Saudi Arabia’s Bogus Claims and the Fate of Mohammad bin Salman

by Emile Nakhleh Anyone who follows how the tribal regimes in the Persian Gulf operate in their state-fiefdoms knows that no major decision—political, economic, social, military—is made domestically and internationally without the knowledge and approval of the senior leadership, particularly… Continue Reading

Turkey Plays Khashoggi Crisis to Its Geopolitical Advantage

by James M. Dorsey With Turkish investigators asserting that they have found further evidence that Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed when he visited the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul two weeks ago, Turkey appears to be leveraging the case to enhance its… Continue Reading

Khashoggi-gate and U.S. Persian Gulf Strategy

by Robert E. Hunter The October 2 kidnapping and probable execution of Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul continues as the number one topic in the Western media. It is not just the grisly details emerging from Turkish… Continue Reading