The contradictory trends of the ‘post-Arab Spring’ landscape form both the backdrop to, and the focus of, this volume on the changing security dynamics of the Persian Gulf, defined as the six GCC states plus Iraq and Iran. https://bit.ly/2rIPmBY
Saudi Arabia
The Arab Gulf States and the West: Perceptions and Realities – Opportunities and Perils
This book examines the changing image of the Arab Gulf States in the West. It addresses the question of perception in international relations and how the Arab States of the Gulf have pursued various endeavors to project themselves into Western imagination. https://bit.ly/2SavYNb
Lockheed’s $15 Billion Saudi Deal at Risk After Khashoggi Death
Lockheed Martin Corp.’s potential $15 billion sale to Saudi Arabia of its Thaad air-defense system may be the unfinished deal most vulnerable to growing congressional demands to stop providing arms to the desert kingdom after the killing of critic Jamal Khashoggi. https://bloom.bg/2EFkwDL
Positive Trends in the Relationship between Africa and the Arab World
Undoubtedly, Arab countries and those in the Gulf in particular have cast a long and malevolent shadow over the African continent – from the Arab slave trade of Africans to the spread of extremist Islam amongst Africans. However, there are signs that this may be changing for the better on account of positive changes occurring Read More >
From Democratization to Securitization: Post‐Arab Spring Political Order in the Middle East
This article examines the question: why and how the wave of democratization in the Middle East has receded, giving way to the prioritization of security in the post‐Arab Spring by conducting analyses at three levels: societal, state, and international. By applying the main concepts and theories found in the literature on democratization and securitization and Read More >
Why Saudi-Israeli Normalisation Could Be Dangerous
Driven by succession plans and a strategy to confront Iran’s influence in the Arab region, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) has engaged in several taboo-breaking steps. These include the arrest of dozens of princes and ministers and a process of normalising relations, at least partially, with Israel. But taking concrete measures to end Read More >
U.S. National Security Strategy 2018- English, French, Russian, Dari
President Donald Trump released his administrations U.S. National Security Strategy. See his vision here. The four main pillars of his new strategy include: Protecting the U.S. from threats. Promoting American prosperity. Preserving “peace through strength.” Advancing American influence. Take a look at his vision and further explanation of the pillars here in: English (web-link); English Read More >
Saudi Arabia and Iran: Main Factors Ascending Their Rivalry In the Middle East Since the Islamic Revolution
The struggle for influence between Riyadh and Tehran has reached its highest level to encompass nearly every conflict within the Middle East. Although sectarianism has been the main aspect characterizing this rivalry, this research extends far beyond the sectarian reading of the crisis. In fact, it explores further political and economic factors that brought these Read More >
Arab States and the Alienation of the Masses: Pre and post Arab Spring
State polices and the strategic choices of the ruling elite have alienated the Arab people. This paper analyzes the source of the Arab masses alienation by the state using the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Transformation Index (BTI) and the World Wide Governance Indicators along the following dimensions: lack of political participation; unstable democratic institutions; lack of political Read More >
Irregular War: ISIS and The New Threat From The Margins
Over the past two years, several books have appeared focusing on Islamic State (IS). These have largely focused on its history, its ideological appeal or its propensity to make use of social media to spread its message of hate. Other publications have examined the subject matter from a military perspective – that of counter-insurgency. In Read More >