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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.“

February 13th, 2015

By Catherine Shakdam

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

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

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Catherine Shakdam

Catherine is a political analyst and reporter for MintPress focusing on the Middle East and the rise of radical movements. The Associate Director of the Beirut Center for Middle Eastern Studies, she has contributed her analyses to the Middle East Monitor, Foreign Policy Association, Your Middle East, IslamistGate, Majalla, ABNA, Open Democracy, International Policy Digest, Eurasia Review and many more.

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.

January 23rd, 2015

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?

August 30th, 2014

By Sean Nevins @seannevins

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

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

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Sean Nevins

Sean Nevins is a Washington DC based staff writer for MintPress focusing on foreign affairs, and the intersection of politics and policy. His work has appeared on Link TV, Inter Press Service, and The Real News Network. He has lived and reported from all over the world and holds a Master’s in Asian Studies (focus: Pakistan) from Lund University in Sweden.

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.

March 29th, 2014

By Associated Press

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

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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Associated Press

Obama Does Not Have To Stoop To Saudi Rulers

President Obama is in a superior position than he was in 2009 to engage the Saudis in serious discussions about international issues.

February 24th, 2014

By Ali Alyami

Obama Does Not Have To Stoop To Saudi Rulers

The Saudi rulers lost America’s unconditional steadfastness to do their bidding throughout Arab and Muslim countries. When President Obama met Saudi King Abdullah in April 2009, three months after his inauguration as President of the United States, he was overwhelmed by the presidency

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America’s Need For Hero Kings

Pliant, weak tyrants like Jordan’s King Abdullah II are the mask — poorly fitting though it happens to be — that keeps the charade going that the U.S. is, in fact, the good guy.