by Emile Nakhleh Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s departure and his replacement—current CIA director Mike Pompeo—will not move the Middle East to a better place. Nor will the possible elevation of the current deputy director of the CIA Gina Haspel… Continue Reading
by Eldar Mamedov Recent years have seen a rise of what could be described as Arab neoconservatives: ambitious leaders such as the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed.… Continue Reading
by James M. Dorsey Incarcerated for almost two months in a gilded cage in Riyadh’s luxurious Ritz Carlton Hotel, Saudi billionaire businessman Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal appears to be putting up a fight that could challenge Crown Prince Mohammed bin… Continue Reading
by Emile Nakhleh Saudi-Israeli relations, especially between their intelligence services, started several years back under the direction of Bandar bin Sultan, a former Saudi ambassador to Washington and a former director of the Saudi national security council. These relations, however, accelerated significantly during… Continue Reading
by Esfandyar Batmanghelidj In response to the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, the United States has long pursued a strategy of counterbalancing, extending its security umbrella to cover the kingdom and the GCC states. But as promises of security… Continue Reading