Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United States, and the Way out of Yemen April 22, 2015 Saudi Arabia announced yesterday that it was transitioning from a military to a political emphasis in its intervention in Yemen, ending Operation Decisive Storm and beginning a new phase, Operation Restoring Hope. Though airstrikes continued today, Saudi and Houthi officials said they were nearing an arrangement to revive the country’s collapsed political dialogue. The promise of renewed talks has weakened the Houthis’ support, as their most powerful allies have come out in favor of negotiations. This includes Iran, which has provided limited support to the Houthis, but which reports indicate had little influence over the organization. The United States has pressured Saudi Arabia to wind down its air campaign, and… Read More ›

Can an arms embargo deter the Houthis? April 15, 2015 | Al Jazeera This interview is in Arabic.        The United Nations Security Council has passed a resolution banning arms sales to Houthis, who condemned the move. They described it as a move that supports “aggression”. At the same time, Iran said it will present a peace plan for Yemen. It involves a ceasefire, humanitarian assistance, a dialogue between Yemeni factions and a broad-based government. But can the UN resolution change things on the ground? And what is behind Tehran’s plan? Presenter Shiulie Ghosh Guests: Khaled Batarfi – senior columnist at the Saudi Gazette Mohammad Marandi – professor at the University of Tehran Dana Stuster – policy analyst at the National Security Network.… Read More ›

Misunderstanding Wars in Yemen, Vietnam, and Yemen Once Again By J. Dana Stuster, NSN Policy Analyst April 6, 2015 | Foreign Policy There’s an moment in the 2003 documentary The Fog of War in which former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara lays out what he got wrong in Vietnam. “We saw Vietnam as an element of the Cold War,” he says. “Not what they [the Vietnamese] saw it as: a civil war.” I thought of that the other day as I listened to Adam Baron, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, talking about the Saudi intervention in Yemen. “This is treated as a sectarian battle between Iran-backed Shia and Saudi Arabia-backed Sunnis, but really when you look at the essence of Yemen’s… Read More ›

Understanding the Crisis in Yemen March 27, 2015 With Yemeni President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi facing a Houthi offensive against his refuge in Aden earlier this week, Saudi Arabia and a coalition of Sunni-majority nations launched a military intervention to push back the Houthis’ gains and restore Hadi’s government to Sanaa. Though the United States is not responsible for Yemen’s recent decline, it has for too long emphasized counterterrorism at the expense of political and economic concerns. Going forward, it should look to deescalate the conflict and restart the country’s political transition – the best way to bring Yemen the stability it needs to confront its many challenges. There are ways the United States can do that within the Saudi-led coalition, to which the United… Read More ›

January 27, 2015 | POTUS, The Morning Briefing   In his interview on “The Morning Briefing with Tim Farley,” John Bradshaw, Executive Director of NSN discussed President Obama’s recent trip to Saudi Arabia following the passing of the late Saudi King. John Bradshaw highlights that the new Saudi leadership marks an opportunity to redefine U.S.-Saudi relations and discusses its implications for security, human rights and the ongoing tensions regarding U.S. sanctions against Iran.     To see the original posting, click here. Read More ›