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In Saudi Arabia, Trump Reaches Out to Sunni Nations, at Iran’s Expense
Hubbard and Erdbrink report on U.S. president Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia to begin a new chapter in relations with the Gulf nations and the Saudis. Under president Obama the U.S. distanced itself from the Saudis and the Gulf nations, preferring to pursue a policy of closer relations with Iran and signing the Iran nuclear deal. This included a policy of staying out of Syria to the point of turning down a decision to deploy U.S. airpower to maintain no-fly zones to protect refugees. Syrian government forces fighting rebels were supported by Iran. The new policy is dictated by the new conditions in the Middle East. The U.S. has sought since the presidency of Reagan to balance the power relations in the region. With the nuclear deal signed and Iran respecting the deal according to independent reports, the U.S. allied with Iran in the battle against Islamic State in Iraq, a shift was needed to balance the support provided to Iran by Russia which worsened the refugee crisis in Syria. The Republican party and Mr. Trump were critical of the Obama Iran policy during the nuclear deal negotiations. The safety of Israel is also a factor as non-state actors were supported by Iran threatening Israeli security. For these reasons the shift is an effort to rebalance the relations in the region. The arms deal in its size and president Trump's statement that Iran had "fueled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror," can be seen as this rebalancing. A business aspect of the large arms deal is that it will promote job growth in the defense industry in the U.S.. Other countries including Germany have seen growth in their defense industry.
This is not the best way forward for the Middle East, yet it is a way the U.S. and nations in the region are adjusting to realities- the collapse of the Arab Spring from within and without the help from outside, the sectarian conflict arising from the Shiite pushback from Iran following the Baathist and Sunni control of Iraq which collapsed with the U.S.invasion, where the majority of people are Shiite yet with a strong Sunni presence. Elections brought Shiites in power, leading to a Sunni response in the form of Islami State caliphate move into Mosul, Iraq's second largest city after Baghdad. A decade of conflict and the efforts by the Bush administration ended in failure and sectarian conflict, resulting in the U.S. policy of rebalancing in favor of Iran to negotiate the nuclear deal. In this sense the arms deal does not solve anything. A similar rebalancing under Reagan by arming one side, followed by arming the other, led to involvement with ground forces under president Bush.
It only leaves the region poor after years of sanctions against Iran to the point where a NYT reporter was not sure whether it was safe to fly from Tehran to Mashad with Iran Air because of the lack of spare parts for the airline. War torn, with millions of refugees in Syria and Iraq, the region remains broken in many ways, waiting for a sensible non sectarian view to prevail in the interest of the people in the region. The election of Rouhani in Iran by 57% of the vote is only a sign that young people in the region given a chance would opt for a different course in future. The rest of Asia has moved forward and shows a path that can be followed.
Iran's 2017 elections
05/19/2017
Grouped Articles
My Strange Trip Through Iran’s Heartland
05/19/2017
Iranians Weigh Divergent Visions in Presidential Election
WSJ 05/19/2017
In Saudi Arabia, Trump Reaches Out to Sunni Nations, at Iran’s Expense
The New York Times 05/22/2017
Re-elected Iran Moderate Rouhani Faces Entrenched Interests
WSJ 05/21/2017
A road trip through Iran in 2017
05/19/2017
The NYT's Thomas Erdbrink makes a road trip from Mashad to Tehran in May 2017. The trip looks similar to a road trip across Cuba by another reporter, with the signs of abandoned factories following sanctions.
Grouped Articles
My Strange Trip Through Iran’s Heartland
05/19/2017
Iranians Weigh Divergent Visions in Presidential Election
WSJ 05/19/2017
In Saudi Arabia, Trump Reaches Out to Sunni Nations, at Iran’s Expense
The New York Times 05/22/2017
U.S. - Saudi Arabia relations in 2015-2017
01/04/2016
Grouped Articles
U.S. in a Bind as Saudi Actions Test a Durable Alliance
New York Times 01/04/2016
Obama’s Mideast Mission: Get Saudis, Iran to Make Nice
Wall Street Journal 04/20/2016
New York Times 04/22/2016
Saudis and Extremism: ‘Both the Arsonists and the Firefighters’
The New York Times 08/25/2016
Saudi Arabia, Ignoring Trump’s Slights, Will Give Him a Royal Welcome
The New York Times 05/18/2017
$110 Billion Weapons Sale to Saudis Has Jared Kushner’s Personal Touch
The New York Times 05/19/2017
U.S. defense arrangements in the Persian Gulf and the Straits of Hormuz in 2012-2015
01/29/2009
U.S. deployment of radar in Israel and Qatar as it tightens sanctions on Iran in 2012-2013. The situation in 2015 as Iranian backed Houthi rebels advance into the southern port city of Aden in Yemen, and the combined U.S. and Saudi air strikes and control of airspace in Yemen. Aden on the Persian Gulf is close to the sea lanes in which a large amount of the world's oil moves to Europe, the U.S. and Asia from Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Kuwait.
Grouped Articles
In Surprise, Emir of Qatar Plans to Abdicate, Handing Power to Son
New York Times 06/24/2013
Qatar's Emir Hands Power to Son
Wall Street Journal 06/26/2013
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal: An Ally Frets About American Retreat
Wall Street Journal 11/22/2013
To Stop Iran’s Bomb, Bomb Iran
New York Times 03/26/2015
U.S. Widens Role in Saudi-led Campaign Against Houthi Rebels in Yemen
Wall Street Journal 04/13/2015
Mohammad Javad Zarif: A Message From Iran
New York Times 04/20/2015
U.S. president Obama's visit to Saudi Arabia in April 2016
04/20/2016
Grouped Articles
Obama’s Mideast Mission: Get Saudis, Iran to Make Nice
Wall Street Journal 04/20/2016
Obama and King Salman of Saudi Arabia Meet, but Deep Rifts Remain
New York Times 04/20/2016
New York Times 04/22/2016
Saudis and Extremism: ‘Both the Arsonists and the Firefighters’
The New York Times 08/25/2016
Saudi Arabia, Ignoring Trump’s Slights, Will Give Him a Royal Welcome
The New York Times 05/18/2017
$110 Billion Weapons Sale to Saudis Has Jared Kushner’s Personal Touch
The New York Times 05/19/2017
ISIS (Islamic State) and the different interests in the Middle East region- the U.S. under the Obama administration, Turkey under Erdogan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Russia under Putin and Iran under Khamanei in 2015-2016
10/16/2015
Turkey's Erdogan is fighting PKK and Kurds, as he faces domestic opposition with Kurdish parties doing well in the recent election, Israel is focussed on Iran's growing influence, the Saudis in protecting Sunni interests and limiting Iranian influence, the U.S. under the Obama administration focussed on limiting the U.S. involvement to an extraordinary degree, and Putin supporting the Iranian government.
Grouped Articles
Regional Discord Fuels Islamic State’s Rise in Mideast
Wall Street Journal 10/16/2015
Sinjar Victory Bolsters Kurds, but Could Further Alienate U.S. From Iraq
New York Times 11/13/2015
Islamic State Understands One Thing: Force
Wall Street Journal 11/20/2015
Turkey Shoots Down Russian Military Jet
Wall Street Journal 11/24/2015
Wall Street Journal 11/24/2015
Russia, West Diverge on Military Tactics in Syria
Wall Street Journal 12/16/2015
U.S. -Saudi defense relations
05/14/2008
Grouped Articles
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal: An Ally Frets About American Retreat
Wall Street Journal 11/22/2013
U.S. and Saudis in Growing Rift as Power Shifts
New York Times 11/25/2013
Obama to Visit Saudi Arabia in March
Wall Street Journal 02/02/2014
Wall Street Journal 05/14/2008
ISIS Atrocities Started With Saudi Support for Salafi Hate
New York Times 08/22/2014
Gulf States and Qatar Gloss Over Differences, but Split Still Hampers Them
New York Times 12/20/2014
Iran before the 2017 elections
05/19/2017
Grouped Articles
Iranians Weigh Divergent Visions in Presidential Election
WSJ 05/19/2017
In Saudi Arabia, Trump Reaches Out to Sunni Nations, at Iran’s Expense
The New York Times 05/22/2017
U.S. president Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia
05/22/2017
Grouped Articles
In Saudi Arabia, Trump Reaches Out to Sunni Nations, at Iran’s Expense
The New York Times 05/22/2017
Trump Softens Tone on Islam but Calls for Purge of ‘Foot Soldiers of Evil’
The New York Times 05/21/2017
U.S. - Saudi economic relations
01/24/2015
Grouped Articles
Washington Post 01/24/2015
King Salman Upends Status Quo in Region and the Royal Family
New York Times 05/10/2015
Saudi Arabia Says King Won’t Attend Meetings in U.S.
New York Times 05/10/2015
Obama’s Mideast Mission: Get Saudis, Iran to Make Nice
Wall Street Journal 04/20/2016
New York Times 04/22/2016
Saudi Arabia, Ignoring Trump’s Slights, Will Give Him a Royal Welcome
The New York Times 05/18/2017
Spillover effects for Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and the U.S. from the civil war in Syria- Sept-Nov. 2012 and by 2014
05/21/2011
The Syrian civil war is spilling over into Iraq. Iraq is unable to protect its airspace from being used by Iran to ship supplies to the Assad regime, or to prevent Turkey's warplanes from using Iraqi airspace to attack Kurdish separatists. There is also a danger of a Sunni-Shiite conflict being exacerabated by former Sunni insurgents in Iraq joining up with Sunni refugees from Syria. The Maliki government in Iraq is moving closer to Iran as the Syrian civil war escalates and brings Sunnis together against the Assad regime. Turkey is also seeing the effects of a flow of refugees on its border with Syria. The Obama administration has been slow to respond to the rapidly developing situation as it concentrates on a complete withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq with the lack of agreement on a residual U.S. troop presence. This leaves the U.S. less than the minimum leverage that is needed just as the sectarian divisions are worsening, after years of investing resources in the region. With the EU countries focussed on economic problems, and the Obama administration's lack of active support for the Free Syria movement, the broader involvement of Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Russia in the region, the situation is likely to lead to an international crisis without U.S. leadership.
Grouped Articles
New York Times 04/22/2013
Clashes Carry Worries of a New Civil War
New York Times 04/28/2013
âBeyond War,â by David Rohde
New York Times 05/03/2013
Pentagon Plans for the Worst in Syria
Wall Street Journal 05/07/2013
What if the U.S. doesn’t intervene in Syria? - The Washington Post
Washington Post 05/09/2013
Why did Mr. Obama overrule his advisers on Syria? - The Washington Post
Washington Post 05/09/2013
The U.S. air support of Saudi air strikes in Yemen and the Iraqi army at Tikrit- 2015
03/28/2015
The U.S. finds itself on both sides of the conflict involving Iran after years of inaction under the Obama administration- using airstrikes for supporting the Saudis against Iranian backed Houthi rebels in Yemen who advanced into the southern port city of Aden in March 2015, and using airstrikes supporting the Iraqi army at Tikrit. Policy determined by an evolving situation in the Middle East reacting to facts on the ground at each step, and not able to formulate a coherent policy, after leaving the region to the influence of regional powers and sectarian conflicts under the Obama administration.
Grouped Articles
U.S. Boosts Aid in Saudi-Led Fight To Defeat Rebel Force in Yemen
Wall Street Journal 03/29/2015
Iraqi Forces in No Hurry to Expel ISIS From Tikrit
New York Times 03/28/2015
Saudi-Led Forces Blockade Yemen
Wall Street Journal 03/31/2015
Saudi Arabia and Yemen: The test for a new monarch
Economist 04/05/2015
U.S. Widens Role in Saudi-led Campaign Against Houthi Rebels in Yemen
Wall Street Journal 04/13/2015
Mohammad Javad Zarif: A Message From Iran
New York Times 04/20/2015
Nawaf Obaid on the events leading to Saudi turndown of a seat on UN Security Council and changes in Saudi-U.S. relations
05/14/2008
The Obama administration succumbing to pressure from Russia pushed for the British, French and Saudis to give up their effort to include firm language for action against the Assad regime in a Security Council resolution on the use of chemical weapons. For the Saudis, says Obaid, this was more evidence of dysfunction in the working of the Security Council allowing the slaughter in Syria to continue.
Grouped Articles
Saudi Arabia gets forceful on foreign policy - The Washington Post
Washington Post 10/25/2013
Wall Street Journal 10/25/2013
Rice Offers a More Modest Strategy for Mideast
New York Times 10/26/2013
Fouad Ajami: When the Obama Magic Died
Wall Street Journal 11/15/2013
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal: An Ally Frets About American Retreat
Wall Street Journal 11/22/2013
As Syrian Chemical Attack Loomed, Missteps Doomed Civilians
Wall Street Journal 11/23/2013
U.S. president Obama and Israel's prime minister Netanyahu- serious disagreement over sanctions on Iran in 2015
01/27/2015
With Saudi Arabia's effort to lower oil prices causing more damage to the Iranian economy and difficult negotiations with Iran continuing on preventing the development of nuclear weapnons, president Obama seeks more time for negotiations. Israeli prime minister Netanyahu is pushing for more sanctions on Iran, which could derail the negotiations. Netanyahu accepted an invitation from Republican Speaker Boehner to address Congress in 2015, creating a divide between Congress and the U.S. president on policy towards Iran.
Grouped Articles
Netanyahu’s contempt for President Obama - The Washington Post
Washington Post 01/27/2015
In Iran, as in U.S., Nuclear Deal is Hotly Debated
Wall Street Journal 02/09/2015
Obama Opposes Further Extensions of Iran Nuclear Talks
Wall Street Journal 02/10/2015
Fear of Israeli Leaks Fuels Distrust Over U.S. Talks With Iran
New York Times 02/17/2015
Netanyahu Visit Set to Test Mideast Relations
Wall Street Journal 03/02/2015
Retired Israeli Generals Denounce Planned Netanyahu Speech
Wall Street Journal 03/02/2015
President Trump and U.S. relations with Middle East countries
05/25/2017
Linked Articles
Trump Softens Tone on Islam but Calls for Purge of ‘Foot Soldiers of Evil’
The New York Times 05/21/2017
In Saudi Arabia, Trump Reaches Out to Sunni Nations, at Iran’s Expense
The New York Times 05/22/2017
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