Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Abdulaziz Kilani
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Saudi Arabia will not go to war against Iran on its own
The attack on the two Saudi Aramco facilities on 14 September has raised tension in the Middle East. Although Yemen’s Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility, Washington is accusing Iran of being behind them, allegations that officials in Tehran continue to reject. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo travelled to Saudi…
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Netanyahu is risking war to boost his electoral prospects
In an effort to boost his electoral prospects, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is risking the outbreak of a war no one wants. Over the course of a few days, Israel launched attacks in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. Commenting on the attack in Syria, the Israeli military said that on 25 August…
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A new black mark in the history of the UAE and Bahrain
Despite the fact that India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently revoked the special status that granted rights to Kashmir and its people to make their own constitution, the government of the UAE has awarded him the country’s highest civilian honour. This is a new low, even by the UAE’s standards,…
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After Yemen, the UAE’s next target could be Libya
Last week, the United Arab Emirates confirmed its troop drawdown from Yemen, which has raised questions about what Abu Dhabi’s next target will be. “Many people asked if this is also linked to the current rise of tensions with Iran,” said a senior UAE official who declined to be named.…
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Bahrain’s Workshop: The Palestinian resistance can never be bought
The wheels of US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner’s, peace plan for the Middle East are now in motion. This week, the first step of the plan illustrated in the “Peace to Prosperity” economic workshop took place in Bahrain’s capital Manama. While the Palestinian leadership said that it had not been…
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US Senate has its say, blocking arms sales to Saudi Arabia
The US Senate yesterday blocked arms sales to Saudi Arabia, ushering in a new episode in the House’s stance towards the Kingdom. This comes as a rebuke of US President Donald Trump, who has been trying to sell $8 billion worth of military weapons to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates…
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Jordan is a primary victim of Kushner’s peace plan
Two weeks ago, the architect of the US peace plan for the Middle East — the “deal of the century” — landed in Jordan. Jared Kushner was in the Hashemite Kingdom as part of his tour of the region to push his plan before the economic workshop takes place in…
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Iraq’s neutrality in the midst of US-Iran tensions is crucial
For some time, Iraq has tried its best to maintain its neutral relationship with both the US and Iran. Such a position may be under threat now, with Baghdad apparently under pressure to choose sides. “Iraq may not have the option of remaining completely neutral and is under serious pressure…
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After Algeria and Sudan, what’s next for the Middle East?
In less than ten days, Algeria and Sudan witnessed the removal of their heads of state, Abdelaziz Bouteflika and Omar Al-Bashir. Such significant events raise the question of whether a second Arab Spring is underway. On one hand, the Sudanese are insisting that they want their country to be a…
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Trump’s Yemen veto damages America’s image around the world
Last week, US President Donald Trump vetoed a Congressional resolution that would have ended American support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, thereby issuing his second veto since he took office in the White House. This was expected, and is a sign that, regardless of the criticism that America is…
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Trump’s description of Sisi insults all Americans who care about human rights
US President Donald Trump appears increasingly to be the official sponsor of authoritarian regimes, a view given even more credence when he welcomed Egypt’s President Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi to the White House on Tuesday. Trump insists on giving overt backing to some of the most brutal regimes in the world,…
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Is Trump’s Golan move another Balfour Declaration?
The Balfour Declaration was issued in 1917 by the then British Foreign Secretary, Arthur Balfour, who viewed “with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people”. Although Balfour’s statement in a letter to a leading Zionist was only 67 words long, its impact has lasted…
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Yemen’s forgotten war is entering its fifth year. Is anyone listening?
Despite the fact that Saudi officials thought the sortie in to Yemen would only last a few weeks, we are now entering the fifth year of the war on Yemen. This portrays the coalition’s failure as it has contributed to leading Yemen to become the world’s most humanitarian crisis. The…
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After the Senate vote, will Trump intervene to back his reckless ally in Saudi?
The US Senate took a remarkable step on Wednesday by voting to end American support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen for the second time. The result (54-46) had the support of seven Republicans who voted in favour of passing the resolution. “In an historic vote, the Senate sent an…
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Abu Asab’s eviction is another example of Israel’s discriminatory regime
On Sunday, Israeli forces evicted Hatem Abu Asab’s family from their home in Jerusalem. This comes after the Israeli Supreme Court ruled Jewish settlers were the rightful owners. The video footage that spread on social media was stark. It showed Rania Abu Asab, who is one of the residents, saying…
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If Saudi’s MBS remains in control, more tensions with Morocco will come
Saudi-Moroccan relations are witnessing an unprecedented period of tension. Morocco has decided to pull its Ambassador from Riyadh. The Ambassador, Mustafa Al-Mansouri, has explained to 360 that the reason for his recall was Al Arabiya’s broadcasting of a video report against the “territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Morocco,” which was interpreted…