By: LtCol Michael von Normann, German Army, US Central Command: Strategy Plans and Policy Directorate; Combined Strategic Analysis Group 14 June 2021 Introduction: More than six years into the Saudi-led intervention, the situation in Yemen is no longer a concern to Yemenis alone. This conflict is a clear example of the permanent struggle between regional Read More >
Saudi Arabia
From Warring Partner to Peace Broker – Impact of the New Administration’s Policy towards the War in Yemen
By: LtCol Michael von Normann, DEU A, CSAG Middle East Branch 02 Mar 2021 Introduction: In his first foreign policy speech on February 4, 2021, President Biden announced the US would end its support for the Saudi-led coalition’s offensive operations in Yemen. The new policy laid out by the President also included the suspension of Read More >
A Turkish-Saudi Rapprochement Could Promote Stability in the Region
Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib is a NESA Alumnus and a specialist in US-Arab relations with a focus on lobbying. She holds a PhD in politics from the University of Exeter and is an affiliated scholar with the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut. Dr. Khatib frequently Read More >
The IOR Economic Condition: Energy, Trade and Infrastructure
In the newest iteration of the NESA MARSEC Digital Series, economic conditions in the Gulf region are explored for impacts on maritime security. NESA Professor Dr. Gawdat Bahgat gives his thoughts on the Gulf economy and the direction to which trend lines point for the future. The event was moderated by NESA’s Jeff Payne. The Read More >
The Need to Stand Up an Emergency Response Task Force in the Gulf
Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib, August 31 2020 No matter who wins the United States presidential election in November, Iran will remain a focal point for United States foreign policy. Whether the Trump Administration continues its maximum pressure policy or a new Biden Administration plans on a return to the JCPOA, a back channel for Read More >
Missile Defense Basics
NESA Professor David DesRoches discusses the basics of the Patriot and THAAD missile defense systems and explains why some systems are not effective against cruise missiles and drones. The video also covers technological advancements to the Iranian missile arsenal and explains why Saudi forces are the most effective at interception. The views presented in this Read More >
How does Coronavirus Affect Stability in the Middle East?
Sam Marrero, NESA Center The validity of coronavirus data coming out of Middle Eastern countries may be uncertain, but most Middle Eastern countries – save Iran and Turkey – appear to avoiding a catastrophe of causalities. Take for example, Egypt, an under-resourced country of almost 100 million, which as of May 8th 2020 reported a Read More >
The Global Collapse of Oil Prices – What Lies Ahead?
NESA Professor Dr. Gawdat Bahgat writes about the plummeting price of oil which, on April 20th, fell into negative territory for the first time in history. Sellers paid customers to take unwanted oil, highlighting the industry’s disarray and raising several important questions: why this extreme volatility? How will the United States respond as the world’s largest Read More >
Impact of the Coronavirus on Arab Gulf States
بالعربية Pусский Dave DesRoches, NESA Center The novel coronavirus is a traumatic event for the Arab states of the Gulf, surpassing even the security challenges posed by the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the events following the 9/11 attacks in the United States. The Arab Gulf states are all export economies that are reliant Read More >
Geopolitics of Oil
بالعربية Pусский Dr. Gawdat Bahgat, NESA Center Last week, Saudi Arabia, Russia and the United States led a multinational coalition in major oil production cuts, the largest in world’s history, after a drop in demand due to the Coronavirus crisis and a Saudi-Russian feud devastated oil prices. Twenty three countries committed to withhold collectively 9.7 Read More >