Syria: Time to Reassess American Strategic View of the Middle East

by Emile Nakhleh Could the unrelenting Russian-Syrian air strikes against the people of Aleppo have been avoided on such a horrendous scale? The Obama administration’s changed view of the Middle East and downplaying of the significance of the region in American… Continue Reading

America’s Outdated Special Relationship with Saudi Arabia

by Ryan Suto The current US presidential campaign debate on Middle East policy has focused disproportionately on the US response to the Islamic State (ISIS or IS). This series will focus instead on five alternative Middle East policy challenges facing… Continue Reading

Congress’ DIY Approach to Saudi Arabia

by Diana Ohlbaum If there were a “basket of deplorables” for foreign countries, Saudi Arabia would surely be in it. The Saudi government holds one of the world’s worst records on religious freedom and women’s rights, and harbors one of… Continue Reading

Is Wahhabism to Blame for al-Qaeda and ISIS?

by Joseph Cozza and Giorgio Cafiero Late last month, Microsoft apologized after online users observed that Bing’s translation of Daesh—what many Arabs call the Islamic State (ISIS or IS)—was “Saudi Arabia.” According to Microsoft’s official apology, Bing relies on a… Continue Reading

Calling Iranians “Descendants of the Magi” Is Actually a Compliment

by Shireen T. Hunter Recently, the chief mufti of Saudi Arabia, Abdul Aziz Al Sheikh, said that Iranians are Majus. This is the Arab name for Iran’s Zoroastrians, who were the majority of the people at the time of the… Continue Reading