Category Archives: Saudi Arabia
Are Yemeni kids, like Palestinian kids, children of a lesser God?
Stuart Littlewood compares the callous disregard shown by Saudi Arabia and its allies towards civilian in Yemen with that shown by Israel towards the Palestinians, and laments the indifference of the UK government, which backs both regimes. Read more [...]
Whither Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman’s “moderate” Islam?
James Dorsey says Prince Muhammad has yet to show that fighting terrorism “involves in practice rather than words the countering of an ultra-conservative ideology that breeds intolerance, fosters anti-pluralism and potentially creates breeding grounds for radicalism”. Read more [...]
Salafi mission calls into question Saudi concept of moderation and policy in Yemen
James Dorsey questions whether Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad’s proclaimed quest to “return” to “moderate islam” includes subscribing to concepts of tolerance and pluralism which at present seems unlikely. Read more [...]
US-Saudi nuclear talks: A barometer for whither the Middle East?
James Dorsey shows how Saudi Arabia “sold” Jerusalem to Israel in return for US nuclear technology, and how Trump plans to transfer US nuclear technology to the Saudis in return for ensuring bids by US companies to build reactors in Saudi are successful. Read more [...]
Trading Jerusalem for war on Iran
James Dorsey examines how Saudi and UAE complicity in President Trump’s decision to recognise occupied Jerusalem as Israel’s capital so that the Saudis could pursue their sectarian conflict with Iran could turn the Arab region into a firestorm – again. Read more [...]
Tackling corruption: Why Saudi Prince Muhammad’s approach raises questions
James Dorsey argues that “power and assets rather than anti-corruption” are behind Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad’s purge of princes and businessmen, and that the aim appears to be “to intimidate and put the kingdom’s elite on notice”. Read more [...]
Saudi Prince Muhammad’s Achilles Heel: Misreading tea leaves in Washington
James Dorsey says Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad’s regional strategy not only risks escalating tensions and raising questions about Saudi Arabia’s ability to successfully confront Iran, but also may be based on a misreading of the dynamics of US policymaking. Read more [...]
Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad’s vow to moderate Saudi Islam: Easier said than done
James Dorsey argues that while the Saudi heir apparent's “proposed reforms have largely been welcomed by Saudi youth… they are likely to stir mixed responses as a result of deep-seated attitudes that have been cultivated for decades”. Read more [...]
Saudi-Iranian rivalry fuels potential nuclear race
James Dorsey views the incremental steps taken by Saudi Arabia – accelerated through major agreements with China, as well as France, the US, Pakistan, Russia, South Korea and Argentina – to acquire a potential nuclear weapons capability. Read more [...]
Defeating the Islamic State group: A war mired in contradictions
James Dorsey says US tolerance of Saudi support for Al-Qaeda in Yemen, Syria and Iraq may allow for short-term gains against the Islamic State group but will only create greater jihadist problems down the road. Read more [...]
