The Economist: America’s Neglect and Confusion Aggravate Problems in the Arab World

In his brief tenure as US President, Donald Trump’s foreign policy with regard to the Middle East has been muddled at best and disastrous at worst. The current administration’s support for Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and his son Crown Prince Mohammad has White House advisors like Jared Kushner anticipating that liberalized economic, social and religious reforms are emerging in the Gulf state and the region more broadly. However, the Saudi state’s unchecked aggressive foreign policy has exacerbated destabilization in the region. A recent report for the Economist observes: “Trump has not evinced any concern about the Saudi-led war in Yemen that has, with American support, laid waste to the region’s poorest country. He has enthusiastically praised a Saudi-led blockade of Qatar, and a recent wave of anti-corruption arrests in the kingdom, even though American diplomats have deep doubts about both policies.” In addition, Trump has cut military aid to the rebel Syrian Democratic Forces. Multiple US presidents have tried for and failed at achieving peace plans for the festering Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Longstanding regional allies like Jordan and even Israel express disappointment and even confusion by recent developments and policies out of Washington. –YaleGlobal