Left: Rival Pakistani rallies have been held for and against the Saudi-led campaign on Yemen [Reuters] In the first few months of 2015, Pakistan has made news regarding its relationship with both the United States and Saudi Arabia. And as usual, one … [Read more...] about A Pakistan-Saudi-U.S. Triangle
Saudi Arabia
Yemen War – Water and the Houthi Homeland
Aden: Despite Saudi led coalition airstrikes on the city of Aden, Huthi rebels backed by Iran and other Shia states are continuously advancing in the city cause shortage of water for locals. Multiple disasters are looming for Yemen. One that is … [Read more...] about Yemen War – Water and the Houthi Homeland
Iran’s Nuclear Framework: Insights and Recommendations*
President Barack Obama speaks the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Thursday, April 2, 2015, about the breakthrough in the Iranian nuclear talks. The president heralded a framework nuclear understanding with Iran as an "historic" … [Read more...] about Iran’s Nuclear Framework: Insights and Recommendations*
The “Historic” Agreement That Ignores History*
No-one agrees on what was agreed with Iran, but in any case the precedents are hardly encouraging. By this time hordes of commentators have chewed over Mr. Obama's "historic" agreement. Some aspects, however, have been overlooked or … [Read more...] about The “Historic” Agreement That Ignores History*
Putting the squeeze on Israel
One of the many anomalies of Pres. Barack Hussein Obama’s collapsing foreign policy is Washington’s growing rift with Israel, despite the two countries’ historically intimate ties at every level. Obama’s fundamental antagonism toward Israel was … [Read more...] about Putting the squeeze on Israel
The Iran Deal Through an (Oil) Glass Darkly
The profit margins Big Oil requires are no longer to be made in Saudi Arabia but in Iran and Iraq. Once the US concludes a nuclear deal with Iran, Big Oil will see to it that it sticks, and Washington can turn its attention to the true cause of … [Read more...] about The Iran Deal Through an (Oil) Glass Darkly
ISIS Global Advances (March 26 – April 1, 2015)*
Left: ISIS in Yarmouk, the Palestinian refugee camp south of Damscus While the United States and its allies claim their air campaigns are successfully eroding the Islamic State expansion, ISIS took over the Yarmouk refugee camp, home to 18,000 … [Read more...] about ISIS Global Advances (March 26 – April 1, 2015)*
Can Saudi Arabia Form a United Sunni Front?
Left: Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud (r) with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Riyadh, March 2, 2015; picture provided by the Saudi Press Agency; AFP Photo/SPA/HO The attempt to establish a Sunni pact against the background of the … [Read more...] about Can Saudi Arabia Form a United Sunni Front?
Libya 2011: The Decisive Year
Left: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton learned about the death of Muammar Gaddafi via an SMS message. Clinton was staying in Kabul when she learned the news. The moment, when she was given a cell phone, was filmed by CBS NEWS as Clinton was … [Read more...] about Libya 2011: The Decisive Year
Weekly Briefing – March 22-27, 2015
Credit: Office of the Supreme Leader Iran: Why? - Sol Sanders - Why is one of the world’s poorest countries [40% living in poverty, halfway down on list of countries in per capita GDP] building capital-intensive nuclear power facilities? Iran has … [Read more...] about Weekly Briefing – March 22-27, 2015