DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The tiny, energy-rich Arab nation of Qatar announced Monday it will withdraw from OPEC in January, a rebuke of the Saudi-dominated cartel as the kingdom's boycott of Doha continues unabated and a crucial meeting of the group looms this week. The surprise declaration could make...
In a Twist, Trump Fights to Keep Some Palestinian Aid Alive
WASHINGTON — For two years, the Trump administration has unabashedly slashed U.S. aid to the Palestinians. Now, amid signs it may finally roll out its long-awaited Middle East peace plan, the administration is scrambling to save what little remaining Palestinian assistance it provides. The striking turnabout is the result of...
US Calls for Yemen Cease-Fire, Political Talks
WASHINGTON — At an apparent turning point in one of its hardest foreign policy challenges, the Trump administration is demanding a cease-fire and the launch of U.N.-led political talks to end the Saudi-Iran proxy war in Yemen. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis called for a halt to hostilities within 30 days....
The US Now Has Second-Class Status in the Middle East
You may not have noticed it – the chair that wasn’t there. The seven-year Syrian civil war is ending with a government victory, aided by Russia and Iran. Talks to end to the war are accelerating. Who is at the table in those talks? Russia, Turkey and Iran. Noticeably, not...
San Francisco Museum Shows off Modern Muslim Women’s Fashions
SAN FRANCISCO — The head covering is among the most identifiable elements of Muslim women's dress and most likely to be portrayed as drab and restrictive to the Western eye. But a new exhibition in San Francisco shows that the covering used by some Muslim women can be a bright...
Who Do US Sanctions Cripple? Not Iran's Regime Leaders.
I have to admit that imposing sanctions on a country recognized as a bad actor in regional or international affairs is appealing. Let's punish the bastards and make them change their evil ways! But have you thought about who really gets hurt? And if sanctions actually work? Let’s use Iran...
Is Trump Team Advocating for Iran Regime Change?
Two of President Donald Trump's high-profile allies will address a "Free Iran" conference Saturday (June 30) organized by a controversial group that advocates for regime change in the Islamist country, according to a story in Politico. Rudy Giuliani, the President's personal lawyer, and informal advisor Newt Gingrich are headlining the...
Watch Sen. Rand Paul Shred U.S. Middle East Policies
U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) grilled Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently about his demands to Iran for restructuring the 2015 nuclear treaty scuttled by President Trump. Paul used the forum to explain the complexities of the Middle East and how the United States ignores the transgressions of other nations...
Sen. Rand Paul Presses Pompeo About Saudi Aggression
U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) grilled Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently about his demands to Iran for restructuring the 2015 nuclear treaty scuttled by President Trump. Paul used the forum to explain the complexities of the Middle East and how the United States ignores the transgressions of other nations...
Opinion: Palestinians to Blame for Their Own Misery
The Arab-Israeli conflict is a divisive issue as old as the Torah and Quran. The Holy Scriptures say when Abraham drove out his son Ishmael, so the tensions started in the Middle East. In modern times, Israel continues to battle its Arab neighbors, those living on lands claimed by Palestine,...