[To be updated] Official and Semi-official: Restraint The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs was guarded in its official statement, despite implicitly referencing past Iran-associated actions as justification and motivation for the act. The Kingdom “calls for the importance of self-restraint” to avoid “aggravating the situation, with unbearable consequences.” https://twitter.com/KSAmofaEN/status/1213136791966027776 Adel Jubeir (Minister of State for … Continue reading Qassem Suleimani
The Return of Dhari
This holiday week saw the effective return, or at least rehabilitation, of Saud al-Qahtani, once deemed "the loudest and most visible Saudi official" online or off. This came as part of a round of verdicts announced in the trial of those accused of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs made … Continue reading The Return of Dhari
بينساكولا وعزل الرئيس الأمريكي ألخ
بينساكولا اشتباك سعودي مع مدرب. تواصل هيئة التحقيقات الفدرالية إجراء المقابلات مع الجميع في قاعدة بنساكولا البحرية الجوية التي ربما تكون ذات الصلة... بالملازم الثاني محمد الشمراني، وقد ظهر تقرير جديد أن المتدرب السعودي قدم شكوى رسمية في وقت سابق من هذا العام ضد أحد مدربيه، الذي سبب "غضبًا" في محمد الشمراني باستخدام المدرب لقب … Continue reading بينساكولا وعزل الرئيس الأمريكي ألخ
Aramco, Pensacola, Etc.
" Maj. Gen. Terrence J. McKenrick, US Army Central deputy commanding and Gen. Dhafer bin Ali Al-Shehri, Royal Saudi Land Forces northwest area commander, attend the Earnest Leader 17 closing ceremony held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on August 10, 2017. " U.S. Army photo by Master Sgt. Mark Hanson Pensacola Shooting After a … Continue reading Aramco, Pensacola, Etc.
Iran, Aramco, and Other Things
"How do we attack Saudi Arabia?" - Fahad al-Khamisi, Al-Eqtisadiah, 11.19.2019 Iran Iran has been a consistent topic of discussion in recent weeks, owing to the framing of uprisings in Lebanon and Iraq as anti-Iranian revolts, protests within Iran itself, and lengthy investigations involving leaked documents that ran in the NYT and the Intercept this … Continue reading Iran, Aramco, and Other Things
Riyadh Agreement and Aramco IPO (11/4 to 11/11)
Riyadh Agreement One of the top stories for local media and commentary was the signing of the Riyadh Agreement, which "ended a three-month standoff that threatened to split the anti-Huthi bloc." (Peter Salisbury, ICG). A wide range of commentary presented this is a major diplomatic triumph for the Kingdom: Yemen could have been tossed into … Continue reading Riyadh Agreement and Aramco IPO (11/4 to 11/11)
الرئيس ترامب وموقع تويتر
الرئيس ترامب وموقع تويتر لم أقدم شيئا باللغة العربية منذ فترة ولكني ظننت أن السلسلة التحقيقة المقدمة من صحيفة النيو يورك تايمز حول استخدام الرئيس ترامب لموقع تتويتر قد يهم البعض. وهي تتكون من 3 أجزاء أترجم اقتباسات منها واحد تلو الاخر في الايام القادمة 1 - في حساب ترامب لتويتر: مؤامرات والعنصريين والجواسيس قام … Continue reading الرئيس ترامب وموقع تويتر
Lebanon, al-Baghdadi, Other Items
Protests in Lebanon A number of Saudi op-eds over the past two weeks have focused on the ongoing protests in Lebanon - mainly focused on the complete lack of credibility of Lebanon's political class with protesters, but with much commentary also highlighting (to various degrees) the implications for Hizbullah and its relationship with Iran. Okaz … Continue reading Lebanon, al-Baghdadi, Other Items
Russia, Turkey, L. Paul Bremer III
President Vladimir Putin and Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, 2018. Source. Saudi-Russia Ties A fair bit of commentary in Okaz on the Kingdom diversifying its relationships by strengthening ties to Russia - to be updated as more comes in. Update [10/17/2019]: Key Themes of Commentary: The Kingdom pursues a flexible foreign policy that balances old … Continue reading Russia, Turkey, L. Paul Bremer III
CBS, MBS and Un-aired Excerpts
Secretary Pompeo Meets With Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jan. 14, 2019Department of State Much of the domestic media/social media scene has been abuzz with anticipation of, and then coverage of, the Crown Prince’s appearance on CBS for an extended interview with Norah O’Donnell – Al-Watan provided a full run-down of topics raised in … Continue reading CBS, MBS and Un-aired Excerpts
