English

The ‘crime of the century’ could scupper the ‘deal of the century’ and the US’ entire Middle East strategy

By Abdel Bari Atwan

The ‘crime of the century’ – the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in his country’s consulate in Istanbul — has not only damaged Crown Prince Muhammad Bin-Salman, the main suspect accused of ordering the murder and despatching a 15-member ‘death squad’ including close aides to carry it out.  It has also inflicted serious harm on key elements of the US’ strategy in the Middle East – most notably the ‘deal of the century’ aimed at liquidating the Palestinian cause, the siege imposed on Iran, and the bid to drive down oil prices.

Gaza’s missile retaliation has changed the rules and created a crisis for the Israelis

By Abdelbari Atwan

I called an old friend and colleague in Gaza on Wednesday. Hilmi Mousa spent more than ten years in Israeli occupation jails, and lived for a long time in Beirut where he worked for as-Safir newspaper before returning to the Gaza Strip. “Don’t ask me how I am,” he said, “I am better off than all of you. Gaza is giving the whole world a lesson in pride and dignity.” He said people had been rejoicing at the sight of missiles lighting up the skies on their way to Israeli settlements, and were upset when they stopped.

The First World War was a disaster for the Arab World: and we may be facing are-run

By Abdelbari Atwan

At this time of year, many British people make sure to pin red paper poppies to their chests as in solidarity with the soldiers who lost their lives on the frontlines during the First World War.

I would often appear on TV programmes as an analyst or commentator on Middle East affairs, and still do, and would be almost the only person who broke this rule, by which broadcasters and guests alike would abide.

What’s behind the proposed ‘peace railway’ connecting Israel to the Gulf?

By Abdel Bari Atwan

The normalisation blowskeep coming. First,Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu visits Muscat and is greeted most cordially. Then, Israeli Culture Minister Miri Regev tours the Abu Dhabi mosque dedicated to the late Sheikh Zayed, who led the Arab oil embargo in solidarity with the heroes of  the October 1973 war and made the historic declaration that ‘oil is not more precious than blood’.

Trump’s sanctions are purely in implementation of an Israeli agenda

By Abdel Bari Atwan

When Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu describes the implementation of the second instalment of US sanctions on Iran, directed at its energy and banking sectors, as a ‘historic day,’ then every Arab or Muslim with any sense of self-respect must stand firmly and unhesitatingly against them.

These sanctions were imposed on Iran because it stands in the trench of resistance to Israel’s occupation of Arab and Islamic lands and holy places.

Top-level changes could be coming in the Saudi ruling family 

By Abdel Bari Atwan

Many questions were raised about the  prolonged stay in London of Prince Ahmad Bin-Abdelaziz, youngest of the seven Sudairi sons of Saudi Arabia’s founding monarch – especially after he told a group of protestors outside his residence that they should not blame the ruling family as a whole for the war in Yemen. Even bigger questions are now raised by his return to Riyadh and the fact that he was greeted by Crown Prince Muhammad Bin-Salman.

Could a reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Qatar be on the cards?

By Abdel Bari Atwan

Qatar may yet emerge as the biggest beneficiary of the crime of the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The coalition opposed to it, led by Saudi Arabia, has been weakened to an unprecedented degree, and has begun to search for ways of resolving the year-old crisis in relations, which would entail lifting the blockade it has imposed on the emirate.

There are several important pointers that can be noted in this regard:

n First, reports by the Bloomberg new agency, Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin-Salman’s favourite media outlet, that the Trump administration has been pressing Saudi Arabia to ease its political and economic siege of Qatar.

The US, Israel and Arab partners set the stage for the launch of their anti-Iran alliance

By Abdel Bari Atwan

It was no coincidence that the star of the ‘Manama Dialogue’ conference held in the Bahraini capital over the past few days was US Secretary of Defence James Mattis. He was joined by the foreign ministers of most of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries – excluding Qatar – at a meeting whose main aim was to prepare the political and intellectual groundwork for the so-called Middle East Security Alliance (MESA) – aka the ‘Arab Nato’.

Why are Gulf governments increasingly flaunting their ties with Israel?

By Abdel Bari Atwan

Three painful normalisation blows were dealt in as many days to what remains of the Arab states’ self-respect. The first was the participation of an Israeli delegation at a sports tournament in Qatar. The second was the despatch of another sporting delegation to the emirate of Abu Dhabi led by Israel’s notoriously racist and Arab-hating minister of culture Miri Regev. But the biggest and most painful blow was the official visit by the occupation state’s prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, to Oman, where he and the delegation accompanying him were accorded a warm welcome and a meeting with Sultan Qaboos.

Riyadh hopes the lure of cash and trade deals will offset international revulsion over the Khashoggi murder

By Abdel Bari Atwan

It is ironic that Saudi Arabia is holding its Future Investment Initiative conference – the so-called ‘Davos in the Desert’ — at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Riyadh. That is where Crown Prince Muhammad Bin-Salman detained around 350 Saudi businessmen last year, among them 13 princes including the well-known billionaire Prince Alwaleed Bin-Talal, and reportedly forced them to hand over some $30 billion in supposedly ill-gotten cash and assets.