Saudi Arabia and the United States: Elections Don’t Matter
Mark Mazzetti and Matt Apuzzo’s January 24, 2016 piece in the The New York Times is a great primer for anyone who believes the next U.S. President will take anti-Saudi action … Continue reading
Egypt: Military’s Actions Supported or Ignored
Every day brings new reports of how a resurgent Egyptian government – staffed by the country’s armed forces – is stomping on those who it deems to be an undesirable … Continue reading
Middle East: To Parent or Guide is the Question
A few days ago, I wrote a post recommending the United States use its ever decreasing influence in the Middle East to develop a coalition of regional powers to counter … Continue reading
Iraq: Yet Another Opportunity for Regional Cooperation in the Middle East
Over the past few days, the world has seen multiple reports on the advancements made by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Iraq’s infamous Anbar province. According … Continue reading
Saudi Arabia: Aid to Lebanese Armed Forces Reflects Reduced Confidence in US Policy
Ending 2013 on a high note, the Lebanese Republic (Lebanon) announced that its armed forces would receive a grant of $3 billion from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2014; … Continue reading
Saudi Arabia: The Syria Bombing’s Biggest Benefactor and Beneficiary
Last week, I wrote a post on how it was unclear how Jordan would benefit from the US bombing Syria. Today, I want to focus on the one country that … Continue reading
Syria: Making the Case for US Intervention
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to authorize the resolution for striking Syria today. The next step is for a full Senate vote that is expected to take place … Continue reading
Syria: Is Washington Preparing for Boots on the Ground or How Assad United the US Military and Al-Qaida
The Obama administration has asked the US Congress to authorize airstrikes on specific Syrian government targets because President Bashar al-Assad’s government “has crossed the redline” and used chemical weapons on … Continue reading
Pakistan: Islamabad should Negotiate an Agreement with the Taliban
Over the past few months, Pakistan has undergone the first democratic transition in its history. Unfortunately, this change has done nothing to solve the country’s problems, which include, but are … Continue reading
Syria: The Best Solution is Exile for Assad
I generally don’t write about the same country multiple times in a week but was forced to make an exception in the case of Syria since it looks like the … Continue reading
All Sorts of Things 