In The News

Al Jazeera: Jordan Crisis – Gulf States Rush to Step In

Ali Younes June 14, 2018
Large protests have erupted in Jordan as a result of a new income tax law, leading to fears of expanding unrest in the Middle East. King Abdullah II of Saudi Arabia hosted a regional summit on Jordan’s economic crisis and a $700 million budget deficit with the aim of providing financial assistance. The Gulf Cooperation Council seeks to prevent the protests from spreading similar to the Arab...

NPR: US Freezes More Than Half of Aid to UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees

Bill Chappell January 17, 2018
Aid is an essential tool for foreign policy, diplomacy and security. “The State Department is withholding $65 million it planned to send to the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, calling for reforms and for other nations to step up their support — especially those that criticize the Trump administration's positions regarding Palestinians and Israel,” reports Bill Chappell for NPR. The US...

The Times of Israel: Trump’s Mideast Policy – Diplomatic Darwinism

Raphael Ahren January 3, 2018
Showing no reticence on commenting about volatile regions or upending longstanding US policies, President Donald Trump started the year relaying a string of opinions over Twitter. “In under 100 words, he questioned America’s longstanding financial support for the Palestinian Authority, contradicted his own position on Jerusalem, and indicated that Israel would have to ‘pay’ in future peace...

Huffington Post: Saudi Arabia’s Leader Spent $450 Million on a Painting; Here’s What That Could Do for War Victims in Yemen

Akbar Shahid Ahmed December 22, 2017
Reports suggest that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman spent $450.3 million on a Leonardo da Vinci painting, “Salvator Mundi,” for the Louvre Abu Dhabi. As Akbar Shahid Ahmed reports for the Huffington, the purchase is the highest for an art auction and damages claims by the prince “that he will impose more transparency on the money accumulated by various members of the sprawling...

New Statesman: Day in the Life of an Aid Worker Under the Blockade in Yemen

Johan Mooij November 29, 2017
Saudi Arabia, intervening in the Yemen civil war, has imposed a blockade with periodic openings to allow humanitarian aid. The war and the blockade adds to the challenges of delivering emergency relief, and New Statesman published the description of a typical day for Johan Mooij, the country director for CARE in Yemen. Basics like water, electricity, fuel, health services and food are in short...

The Wall Street Journal: Strategy for the Post-ISIS Middle East

Suzanne Maloney and Michael O’Hanlon November 8, 2017
As the war against the Islamic State winds down and territory is regained in Syria and Iraq, regional and international leaders ponder the next steps. Many challenges remain: combatting other extremist groups and pinpointing sources of extremism, securing oil shipments through the Persian Gulf waterways, calming conflict among coalition partners like Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and ending divisive...

The Diplomat: US Allies in the Age of Trump

Robert Dujarric November 3, 2017
Barack Obama had emphasized a “pivot to Asia," but the Trump administration promotes "America First" policies. US allies in the region will listen closely during Donald Trump’s 12-day trip to Asia for any signals on priorities. His policies, especially termination of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and baiting of Kim Jong Un in North Korea, do not align with the allies’ interests,...