Saudi Arabia restores civil service and military allowances

Saudi Arabia restores civil service and military allowances

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman issued a royal decree on Saturday restoring financial allowances for civil servants and military personnel that had been cut under austerity measures. “The royal order returns all allowances, financial benefits, and bonuses to civil servants and military staff,” said the decree, broadcast on state-run Ekhbariya TV. In September Saudi Arabia cut […]

Mattis on war in Yemen: ‘It has simply got to be brought to an end’

Mattis on war in Yemen: ‘It has simply got to be brought to an end’

In his first trip to Saudi Arabia as Secretary of Defense, James Mattis is seeking to shore up relations between the U.S. and the Saudis, while sending Iran a message. Along with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the Trump administration is effecting a sort of ‘reboot’ with the Saudis, who had felt continually at odds […]

Saudi Blackhawk Helicopter Crashes in Yemen Killing 12 Soldiers

Saudi Blackhawk Helicopter Crashes in Yemen Killing 12 Soldiers

A Saudi Arabian Blackhawk helicopter crashed during military operations in Yemen on Tuesday killing 12 personnel on board. Saudi sources are stating that the cause of the crash was friendly fire. The four officers and eight non-commissioned officers were killed while on a mission to try to force out the dominant Houthi group and restore […]

Saudi Blackhawk Helicopter Crashes in Yemen Killing 12 Soldiers

Saudi Blackhawk Helicopter Crashes in Yemen Killing 12 Soldiers

A Saudi Arabian Blackhawk helicopter crashed during military operations in Yemen on Tuesday killing 12 personnel on board. Saudi sources are stating that the cause of the crash was friendly fire. The four officers and eight non-commissioned officers were killed while on a mission to try to force out the dominant Houthi group and restore […]

State Department drops human rights as condition for fighter jet sale to Bahrain

State Department drops human rights as condition for fighter jet sale to Bahrain

The State Department notified Congress on Wednesday that it supports selling F-16 fighter jets to Bahrain without requiring that the tiny island monarchy in the Persian Gulf first improve its human rights record. The decision to proceed with the sale amounts to an abrupt reversal of an Obama administration decision. Last fall, the State Department […]

U.S. looks to resume sale of precision weapons to Saudi Arabia

U.S. looks to resume sale of precision weapons to Saudi Arabia

The Trump administration is positioning itself to renew sales of precision guided weapon systems to Saudi Arabia, a move originally shelved by the Obama administration. The State Department has left a proposal for the arms sale with the White House for approval. The measure is seen as another form of the Trump administration taking a […]

Meaningful resolution for Syrian peace talks unlikely as talks falter

Meaningful resolution for Syrian peace talks unlikely as talks falter

Tenuous peace negotiations are ongoing between the Assad government and a representative of the Syrian opposition in Geneva, supervised by Russia. Russia is playing head diplomat within the United Nations-backed peace talks, which have had a rocky track record over the past few years. Historically, these peace talks have done nothing to abate the fighting […]

Child soldiers are being recruited for the fight in Yemen, by all sides

Child soldiers are being recruited for the fight in Yemen, by all sides

Boys as young as 15 are being recruited to fight in the Yemen Civil War, with promises of financial compensation to their families when they are martyred, according to a report from Amnesty International. The statement was prompted after the families of three boys approached Amnesty International to report that their sons had been actively […]

An overview of the conflict in Yemen

An overview of the conflict in Yemen

Recently a reader asked if we could provide an overview of the conflict in Yemen so I thought I would direct our readers towards a handy guide I found.  The European Council on Foreign Relations has put together a guide that covers the historical context, factions, and multiple fronts in what has become a very complex […]

Yemen Civil War: Small progress for Saudi-backed government forces

Yemen Civil War: Small progress for Saudi-backed government forces

Forces loyal to Saudi-backed President Abrabbuh Mansur Hadi have seized the coastal town of Al-Mokha in Yemen, according to a report by Reuters. The action represents progress for the embattled president and his Gulf Arab allies as the civil war with regional and global implications approaches its second anniversary. Following the Iranian-backed Houthi offensive to […]