Saudi Arabia

Augustinian Realism and the Murder of Jamal Khashoggi - PBS News Hour David Brooks
Augustinian Realism and the Murder of Jamal Khashoggi

On PBS News Hour, David Brooks quoted St. Augustine to criticize President Trump’s response toward the Saudis for the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Was Brooks right about Augustine?

Jamal Khashoggi’s Disappearance Should Prompt U.S. to Challenge MBS on Human Rights

The Jamal Khashoggi affair presents the perfect opportunity for the United States to press Saudi Arabia for more progress on its horrendous human rights record. 

America’s Conscience and the Crisis in Yemen: Robert Nicholson Takes on Nicholas Kristof

For Nicholas Kristof to say that Americans “are willing to starve Yemeni schoolchildren” because “we dislike Iran’s ayatollahs” is so simplistic as to be immoral in itself.

Organ Failure: The United Nations’ Case against the UN
Organ Failure: The UN’s Case against the UN

The United Nations has failed to do what it was created to do—“promote the establishment and maintenance of international peace and security.”

Strange Bedfellows: Is the US Supporting al-Qaeda in Yemen?

The Arab coalition and the US find themselves in the awkward position of directly and indirectly supporting al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula while they fight the Houthis in Yemen.

Whose Fault is the Yemeni Crisis Anyway?

Though the Yemen conflict is in many ways a proxy war between Iran and the Saudi coalition, it is much more complicated, and not all the blame should be placed on the coalition for worsening the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

David Becomes Goliath: Interpreting 70 Years of Israeli Independence
The Shepherd Becomes the King: Interpreting 70 Years of Israeli Independence

Israel’s founding was at once a victory for justice, a triumph for freedom, and a crushing blow to antisemitism. It was a story of David against Goliath. But 70 years later, things are different. Israel isn’t David anymore.

Israel-Lebanon War Will Only Help Hezbollah
Israel-Lebanon War Would Only Help Hezbollah

If war occurs between Israel and Lebanon, the embattled Christians of Lebanon will suffer in what would be yet another front of Iran’s quest for regional control.

Saudi Arabia Needs Crown Prince Salman’s Reforms, but Risks Abound
Saudi Arabia Needs Reforms, but Risks Abound

Many have praised Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s reforms and say they represent the beginning of comprehensive reform within Saudi Arabia. But the monarchy’s stability is at risk.