Pragmatic Flexibility
India and China find that pragmatic flexibility trumps ideology in trade policies. Case in point: Israel. Read Here – The Diplomat
Tag: Middle East
Obama’s Nixon Moment
The president’s negotiation could remake global politics—but he faces recriminations from domestic opponents and foreign allies like Israel and Saudi Arabia. Read Here – The Atlantic
Look Who’s Looking West…
With the United States bogged down by economic troubles at home, wriggling to organize its departure from Afghanistan and grappling with a variety of crises in the Middle East, it comes as no surprise that China is using the opportunity to invest considerable time and money into reviving the so-called Silk Road. Read Here – RealClearWorld
Through The Realist Prism
What is most interesting to consider, however, is whether we are witnessing the first stages of a reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Russia. Riyadh and Moscow, of course, have some apparently irreconcilable geostrategic imperatives. Russia’s close ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran and its unstinting support of Bashar al-Assad in Syria puts Moscow at […]
No Middle East Exit Yet For The US
Until cars and trucks can be powered by solar, wind, or nuclear energy, the entire world depends on the free flow of oil from the Persian Gulf region. That requires American security guarantees, which require our presence. And until radical Islamist organizations utterly lose their local appeal, we’ll have little choice but to intervene periodically […]
Worrying About A Different Kind Of Oil
Sustainable food self-sufficiency is unattainable for the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Domestic production meets only a small proportion of needs, yet consumes significant economic resources and almost monopolizes water use Read Here – Chatham House
The Great Saudi Gamble
Faced with growing internal tension – from Islamist radicals as well as liberal reformers – the ruling family is determined to defend its interests by whatever means necessary. This is reflected by a new assertiveness on the world stage – seen most vividly in the surprise decision to reject a seat on the UN Security […]
Redefining Middle East Interests
Based on its actual behavior, rather than words, Washington seems to have redefined its core national interests in the Middle East a few years ago during the first term of the Barack Obama presidency, says Rami Khouri Read Here – The Daily Star, Beirut
No Case For Non-Interference
China’s international role is changing. But the country is struggling to reconcile its traditional foreign policy of non-interference with its growing economic presence around the world. Read Here – Asia Centre
Troubled Ties
After decades when the core components of US and Saudi strategic policies were more or less in sync, the United States is suddenly not playing by the Saudi playbook. It won’t give the Syrian resistance a blank check; it is daring to consider softening its stance towards Iran; it has dared to criticise, however mildly, […]
looking beyond borders 