Is Taleh Bagir-zade Baku’s Sheikh Al-Nimr?

by Eldar Mamedov The Muslim world continues to reverberate from the shock created by Saudi Arabia’s early January execution of Baqr al-Nimr, a dissident Shia cleric. Meanwhile, another outspoken Shia cleric, Taleh Bagir-zade, sits behind bars in Azerbaijan. Bagir-zade was… Continue Reading

Saudi Disillusionment with the U.S. Started With Bush

by Jim Lobe The following are excerpts from a telephone interview conducted late last week with Amb. Chas Freeman, Jr. (ret.) regarding the latest developments between Iran and Saudi Arabia, in particular. Freeman, who served as U.S. ambassador (1989-1992) to… Continue Reading

The Geopolitics of Cheap Oil

by John Feffer The market was supposed to save the planet. That, at least, was the argument of many economists grappling with the problem of climate change. As fossil fuels became scarcer, they pointed out, the price of oil and natural… Continue Reading

No, Neocons, America Is Not “Tilting toward Iran”

by Derek Davison Jim Lobe has already noted the swarm of neocons rushing to defend Saudi Arabia in the latest escalation of its ongoing rivalry with Iran, and Eli Clifton has explained how big money has bought a certain fealty… Continue Reading

NORPAC Helps House Hawk Attack Iran Deal

by Eli Clifton Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) is leading the charge in the House of Representatives to derail the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed between the P5+1 and Iran to limit the country’s nuclear program in exchange for… Continue Reading