Saudi Arabia

By Juan Cole | — The US sanctions on Cuba were justified by their supporters with reference to the Communist government’s human rights record. That record, bad as it is, however, cannot explain the sanctions. They are rather pique that Cuba defied American hegemony and corporate domination. The sanctions have not overthrown the government of […]

Economy

Saudi Arabia at the G20: Is it waging Econ War on Iran, Russia and N. Dakota?

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole The G20 is a conference of the world’s top 20 economies as measured by Gross Domestic Product. Some observers have slammed it as an unelected and arbitrary body that is doing some of the work the United Nations was intended to do– only in a much less egalitarian way. The official web […]

Featured

Daesh/ ISIL calls for Terror attacks on Saudi Arabia

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | — Daesh, the brutal terrorist group the US calls ISIL or ISIS, is calling for attacks in Saudi Arabia. A voice recording has surfaced, attributed to Ibrahim al-Samarra’i, the leader of the brutal terrorist group Daesh (which the US calls ISIL or ISIS). Al-Samarra’i was wounded in a US airstrike on […]

Climate Change

Mr. 2%: Tony Blair’s Secret Oil Contract with Saudis Revealed

contributors

TheLipTV: “Tony Blair’s secret contract with a Saudi oil company has been revealed as details have emerged that the ex-Prime Minister received £41,000 a month and two percent commission on any successful deals that he helped broker. Tony Blair Associates (TBA) signed the contract with PetroSaudi to help find them new sources of investment and […]

Islamic State of Iraq and Syria

Is ISIL’s Ideology really Grounded in Saudi Textbooks?

contributors

By Emile Nakhleh WASHINGTON (IPS) – According to an article published Oct. 21 on Al-Monitor, the Islamic State (ISIS or IS) has issued new regulations for the school systems under its control in Iraq and Syria. The announced purpose of the so-called guidelines, which carried the imprimatur of the group’s “Amir al-Mu’minin,” presumably leader Abu […]

Egypt

Arab Allies will wage Financial war on ISIL: Is it Enough?

contributors

By Charles Recknagel via RFE/RL As Washington vows to put together a broad coalition to fight Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, the outlines of the new alliance are beginning to take shape. Much of the emphasis has been upon finding partners among the Arab states. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in […]

Featured

Iraq: Al-Abadi garners Iranian, US, Saudi Support: But can He Unite Iraq?

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole Middle Eastern regional powers joined the US in welcoming the appointment of Haydar al-Abadi as Iraq’s next Prime Minister, creating a dorm full of strange bedfellows. The chairman of Iran’s national security council, Ali Shamkhani, congratulated al-Abadi and said that Iran approved of the legal process whereby President Fuad Masoum appointed the […]

Featured

The Obama Effect? Are Iran/ Saudi-and-GCC no longer on a war footing?

Juan Cole

(By Juan Cole) There are signs of a diplomatic thaw between Iran and the Arab oil monarchies of the Gulf. It has just been announced that the ruler of Kuwait, Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, will make a state visit to Iran. This news comes after it was confirmed that the Iranian foreign minister has been invited […]

Dissent

Some Saudis Kiss their Camels to defy Gov’t MERS Warning

Juan Cole

Saudi homes in on camels in bid to combat MERS (via AFP) Saudi authorities have issued fresh warnings on how to handle the desert kingdom’s wealth of camels, thought to be the source of the mysterious MERS coronavirus in the Gulf state. The Middle East Respiratory System has now killed 147 people out of 491… […]