There is a new ménage-à-quatre in the region, bringing Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the United States ever closer. And...an unexpected fifth player lurking in the shadows: Russia.
Maybe Trump really thinks sanctions will produce a "better" Iran deal. More likely, they're designed to justify conflict - an unwinnable conflict that will destabilize the Middle East and the world’s economy, and pour more of this country’s resources into yet another quagmire.
The way to war, which will surely prove to be the road to hell, seems open with a Third Gulf War looming on humanity’s horizon. Once again, Iran is the enemy. Again, as in 2003, a president is surrounded by bellicose advisers intent on just such a war and looking for the right excuse to launch it.
This piece was originally written for Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) in early February 2018 before the appointments of Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State and John Bolton as National Security Advisor. These appointments render an already alarming situation even worse.
Mark Mazzetti, investigative correspondent for The New York Times, talks with Rachel Maddow about Robert Mueller's consideration of undue influence on Donald Trump's Middle East policies on behalf of Saudi Arabia and UAE.
Just over 1,000 days of Saudi-led coalition war against the Houthi rebels in Yemen has been deadly and devastating for Yemeni civilians. The UN says that 7 - 8 million Yemenis are one step away from starvation. The BBC reports that more than 80% of Yemenis lack food, fuel, water and access to health care. The number of suspected cholera cases in Yemen has reached one million, according to the International Commission of the Red Cross.
It is important for as many people as possible to get involved in this next phase of the fight to end U.S. support for the Saudi war in Yemen, because this is the world's best chance of ending this nightmare, as United Nations aid chief Mark Lowcock warned of Yemen experiencing "the largest famine the world has seen for many decades with millions of victims."
The young crown prince wants to end decades of power-sharing. His gambles could shake up the kingdom and the Middle East.
From the UK and the US to Yemen, Qatar, Turkey, Iran, Palestine, and Lebanon, the fallout from the Saudi Crown Prince’s “corruption” sweep could be felt across many nations. Mohammed Bin Salman al Saud, the 32-year-old heir apparent, wants to consolidate his authority in Saudi Arabia, and, at the same time, be the kingmaker in other Middle Eastern lands. It is an extraordinarily high-risk strategy, one emboldened personally by President Trump and his son-in-law.
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