An intelligence report is expected to be released on Friday as the Biden administration engages in a “recalibration” of the United States’ relationship with Saudi Arabia.
Tag Archives: Mohammed bin Salman (1985- )
Candidate Biden Called Saudi Arabia a ‘Pariah.’ He Now Has to Deal With It.
In a coming call with King Salman, the president plans to warn him that the United States will soon make public intelligence about the Saudi crown prince’s role in the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.
These Women Confront Dictators. Why Can’t We?
I’m inspired by two sisters who stood up to goons with clubs and razors in Egypt.
Loujain al-Hathloul, Saudi Women’s Rights Activist, Freed From Prison
Loujain al-Hathloul was a champion of freedoms for Saudi women. She had been imprisoned for nearly three years on charges that rights groups called politically motivated.
Declaring Democracy Won’t Be Subverted, Biden Demands Russia and Myanmar Reverse Course
The president is about to discover how years of sanctions fatigue — exacerbated in the Trump administration — and a decline in American influence may make it difficult to deliver on his promises.
Biden Demands Russia and Myanmar Reverse Course
The president is about to discover how years of sanctions fatigue — exacerbated in the Trump administration — and a decline in American influence may make it difficult to deliver on his promises.
The Dark Reality Behind Saudi Arabia’s Utopian Dreams
Mohammed bin Salman’s absurd plan for the Line — a 106-mile long city with no cars and no roads — comes with a grisly human price.
In Saudi Arabia, Quiet Changes May Ease Tensions With Biden
The new president is a Saudi critic, but he takes office as the kingdom scales back beheadings, removes hate speech from text books and limits prison terms for activists.
Kuwait Says Saudi Arabia Will Reopen Borders With Qatar
The announcement by Kuwait was not confirmed by Saudi Arabia, which has led a Gulf boycott of Qatar for more than three years.
My Father Spoke About Reforms. Saudi Arabia Is Slowly Killing Him.
President-elect Joe Biden must push Saudi Arabia to release its political prisoners.
Loujain al-Halthloul, Saudi Rights Activist, Gets Prison Sentence
Loujain al-Hathloul, who was arrested just before the driving ban was lifted, was charged with undermining the kingdom in a case that supporters decried as a political persecution.
An Oscar Winner Made a Khashoggi Documentary. Streaming Services Didn’t Want It.
Bryan Fogel’s examination of the killing of the Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi had trouble finding a home among the companies that can be premier platforms for documentary films.
U.S. Considers Granting Immunity to Saudi Prince in Suspected Assassination Attempt
If the request is granted, it could potentially provide a legal basis to dismiss a separate case against Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.
Israeli Reports Say Netanyahu Met Saudi Crown Prince, but Saudis Deny It
The reported visit on Sunday night, amid talk of warming relations, would be the first known meeting between high-level Israeli and Saudi leaders.
Netanyahu Meets With Saudi Crown Prince
The reported visit on Sunday night would be the first known meeting between high-level Israeli and Saudi leaders.
At G-20, Saudi Arabia and Human Rights Activists Fight Over Kingdom’s Image
As the summit’s host, the kingdom hopes to showcase its advances, while critics see an opportunity to pounce. But the virtual event will have a lower profile.
After Trump’s Embrace, Saudis Brace for a Chillier Tone From Biden
Saudi Arabia’s leaders counted on President Trump’s unwavering support, but President-elect Biden has vowed to take away the kingdom’s “dangerous blank check.”
Fiancée Sues Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Killing
The fiancée of the slain Washington Post journalist sued Prince Mohammed bin Salman in an attempt to learn more about the 2018 killing.
Trump’s Sanctions on International Court May Do Little Beyond Alienating Allies
Critics say the administration has targeted a human rights lawyer with economic penalties meant for warlords, dictators and authoritarian governments.
Donald Trump’s Incompetent Foreign Policy
For all the sound and fury, Trump’s foreign policy has few accomplishments.
The Mysteries of the American-Saudi Alliance
Two new books, David H. Rundell’s “Vision or Mirage” and Bradley Hope and Justin Scheck’s “Blood and Oil,” offer insights into an enigmatic country.
For Trump, Defying Mideast Truisms Produced Breakthroughs and Backfires
Disregarding norms and accepted wisdom, President Trump went his own way in the Middle East and, in some cases, got what he wanted.
Jamal Khashoggi’s Killing is Focus of ‘Kingdom of Silence’ and ‘The Dissident’
“Kingdom of Silence,” due Friday, and “The Dissident,” due Dec. 18, revisit the killing of the Saudi journalist Khashoggi in Turkey in 2018.
Trump’s Middle Eastern Mirage
Will there be a Saudi October surprise?
In Arab States’ Embrace, Israelis See a Reshaped Mideast
Normalized ties with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain raise hopes in Israel that it is finally gaining acceptance in its volatile neighborhood.
Bahrain Recognized Israel. Here’s Why It Matters.
The announcement that Bahrain would establish full diplomatic relations with Israel leaves open the possibility that more Arab states will follow.
Bahrain Says It’s Time to Embrace Israel. The Gulf Hears a Saudi Voice.
Bahrain’s closeness to Saudi rulers makes it unthinkable the change in diplomatic ties happened without approval. But Saudi Arabia itself may not be in a rush to normalize relations with Israel.
Saudi Court Issues Final Verdicts in Khashoggi Killing
The sentences, of up to 20 years in prison, were issued months after one of Jamal Khashoggi’s sons said he and his siblings had forgiven the men who killed him.
Saudi King Fires 2 Royals in Defense Corruption Inquiry
The king’s decision was based on Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s call for an investigation into “suspicious financial transactions at the defense ministry,” according to state news media.
Trump Administration Plans Arms Sale to U.A.E. Despite Israeli Worries
The Trump White House is quietly planning sales of F-35 stealth fighters and advanced drones to the Emiratis as part of a wider plan to realign the Middle East, but Israel and Congress may object.
The Immoral Double Life of the Former King of Spain
An outdated culture allowed King Juan Carlos I to become a lobbyist for Arab dictatorships and to hide his fortune for decades.
The King Had No Clothes. Spain Looked the Other Way.
An outdated culture allowed King Juan Carlos I to become a lobbyist for Arab dictatorships and to hide his fortune for decades.
Former Saudi Official Accuses the Crown Prince of Trying to Kill Him
Saad Aljabri, a former top intelligence official, filed suit in Washington alleging that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sent a team of agents to Canada to kill him.
U.S. Examines Whether Saudi Nuclear Program Could Lead to Bomb Effort
Intelligence agencies are scrutinizing whether the kingdom’s work with China to develop nuclear expertise is cover to process uranium and move toward development of a weapon.
Strange Bedfellows: Iran’s Ex-President Woos Saudi Crown Prince as Pen Pal
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, known in the West for his Holocaust denial and disputed re-election in 2009, writes a warm letter to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, calling him a man of peace.
A Saudi Spy Chief Hid Abroad. With Appeals and Threats, M.B.S. Tried to Bring Him Back
To try to force a former Saudi intelligence officer to return to the kingdom, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked for his help, targeted his family and sought to have him arrested abroad.
U.K. Says It Will Resume Arms to Saudi Arabia
Military sales were suspended over concerns about Saudi human rights violations in Yemen. Now, Britain argues that Saudi violations there are “isolated incidents.”
Trial of 20 Saudis in Jamal Khashoggi Killing Opens in Turkey
Supporters of the slain journalist expressed hope that the proceedings would offer a chance for justice. The defendants are to be tried in absentia.
Late Action on Virus Prompts Fears Over Safety of U.S. Diplomats in Saudi Arabia
Surging outbreaks in the U.S. Embassy and the kingdom and quiet congressional pressure led the State Department belatedly to allow voluntary departures. Some demand more action.
Pompeo Aide Who Pushed Saudi Arms Sale Said to Have Pressured Inspector General
Congress is looking into whether Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asked President Trump to fire Steve Linick, the department’s inspector general, to retaliate for investigations.
Khashoggi’s Son Says Family Pardons His Father’s Killers
The pardon effectively ends the prospect that any of the men who killed Jamal Khashoggi will be executed.
Jailed Saudis Seek Influence in Washington to Counter Crown Prince
Some are hiring lobbyists with links to the Trump administration, looking to build support at a time when the de facto Saudi ruler is beset by economic problems and criticism over human rights violations.
Saudi Arabia’s Big Dreams and Easy Living Hit a Wall
The coronavirus pandemic and falling oil prices have yanked the rug out from under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s development plans and curbed government largess.
Why Bombs Made in America Have Been Killing Civilians in Yemen
President Trump sees arms deals as jobs generators for firms like Raytheon, which has made billions in sales to the Saudi coalition. The Obama administration initially backed the Saudis too, but later regretted it as thousands died.
Saudi Arabia’s ‘Um Haroun’ Ignites Arab Debate on Jews and Israel
Fans have praised a hit TV series for promoting religious diversity. Critics say it encourages “normalization” with Israel and betrays the Palestinian cause.
As Fighting Surges, Yemen Is Hit With 1st Cluster of Covid-19 Infections
A handful of coronavirus cases in Aden appeared to confirm fears that the virus has been spreading, stoking concerns of an outbreak that could quickly overwhelm Yemen’s devastated health system.
War Within War: As Saudi Prince Edges Away from Yemen, His Allies Feud
A declaration of self-rule by Yemeni separatists has complicated Saudi efforts to withdraw from the war.
Saudi Arabia Abolishes Flogging as a Punishment for Crime
The most high-profile flogging in recent years was of the Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes on charges of insulting Islam.
After a Year of Silence, a Jailed Saudi Princess Appeals for Help
The detentions of a prince and princess add to the tally of royals who have been locked up during the rise of the kingdom’s powerful crown prince.
Oil Nations, Prodded by Trump, Reach Deal to Slash Production
The deal will reduce output by 9.7 million barrels a day. While significant, the cut falls far short of what is needed to bring oil production in line with demand.