With Riyadh, How Much Longer Can Washington Look The Other Way?

One political analyst tells MintPress that “this particular friendship is interest-based. Politically, culturally and ideologically, those two powers stand on polar opposites, and therefore, their alliance will shift or dissolve based on each player’s needs.“

Catherine Shakdam
By Catherine Shakdam
President Barack Obama meets new Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdul Aziz in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015.

President Barack Obama meets new Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdul Aziz in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015. LONDON --- Saudi Arabia and the United States’ long-standing friendship is undergoing an unprecedented stress test. The two allies, which have weathered decades of wars, one Arab Spring movement and the rise of Islamic

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Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Is Dead

Although official reports say King Abdullah died at age 90 or 91, cables made public by Wikileaks state that he was born in 1916, making him 98 or 99 years old.

Al Akhbar
By Al Akhbar

Saudi King Abdullah speaks before a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry at his private residence in the Red Sea city of in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Friday, June 27, 2014. Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah died early on Friday and his brother Salman became king, the royal court in the world's top oil exporter said in a statement carried

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The Key To Stop ISIS From Spreading To Jordan Rests In Iraq

With a civil war to the north, ISIS to the east, and Israel and Gaza to the west, how long can Jordan maintain stability?

Sean Nevins
By Sean Nevins
Jordan

WASHINGTON --- To the north, civil war has engulfed Syria, ISIS has made inroads into Iraq to the east, and the conflict between Israel and Gaza to the west has turned the world’s attention toward de-escalating hostilities. In the middle of all of this turmoil and chaos, however, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, a constitutional monarchy

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Obama Meets With Saudi King, Weighs New Syria Weapon Aid To Rebels

Allowing compact missile launchers to be delivered to Syria would mark a shift in strategy for the U.S. in looking for ways to boost the rebels, but the administration insists Obama remain opposed.

Associated Press
By Associated Press

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — President Barack Obama is considering allowing shipments of new air defense systems to the Syrian opposition, a U.S. official said Friday, as Obama sought to reassure Saudi Arabia's king that the U.S. is not taking too soft a stance in Syria and other Mideast conflicts. A key U.S. ally, Saudi Arabia would be likely to

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