Jerusalem seeks to mitigate the potential risks of the president’s decision by shaping its implementation and obtaining U.S. security guarantees, though long-term concerns still loom. Israeli officials have been careful not to publicly criticize President Trump’s recent announcement that all U.S. military forces will be pulled out of Syria. Below the surface, however, they have… Keep reading →
Riyadh’s allies need to adjust more to the kingdom’s dynamic decisionmaking, once noted for being slow and cautious. In the almost four years since King Salman ascended to the throne, Saudi policy initiatives attributable to his son Muhammad bin Salman (MbS) have been rapid, surprising to outsiders, and considerably significant. They can almost be described… Keep reading →
Riyadh’s shifting, dubious storyline presents a dilemma for allies who want to reestablish good working relations with the world’s largest oil exporter. Earlier today, the Saudi Public Prosecutor’s Office released its latest statement on the murder of exiled journalist Jamal Khashoggi, announcing that eleven people have been charged in the incident and that five of them face… Keep reading →
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette hosted the Republic of Korea (ROK) Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun for the plenary meeting of the U.S.-ROK High Level Bilateral Commission (HLBC). This was the second plenary meeting of the HLBC since its creation in 2016. During their discussions, Deputy Secretary Brouillette and… Keep reading →
As Washington mulls sanctions on Asaib Ahl al-Haq and similar groups, it should mind the volatility of Baghdad’s near-term political situation and the questionable efficacy of ‘wing’ distinctions. Among the winners in Iraq’s May 12 parliamentary elections was Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), the fastest-rising faction in a powerful coalition of Iranian-allied Iraqi parties. In the… Keep reading →
Negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program have been extended by another day after pushing on past a deadline with Secretary of State John F. Kerry deciding to stay in Switzerland an extra day in search of a breakthrough. “State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said that progress had been made and that Kerry would remain “until at… Keep reading →
The Wind Industry is set to take off over the next 30 years and could become one of the nation’s dominant power sources, the Obama administration stated yesterday.”The Energy Department projects that by 2050 wind power could provide 35 percent of U.S. electricity — a dramatic jump from today’s energy landscape, in which wind provides less than… Keep reading →
By continuing to delay the Keystone XL pipeline, President Obama continues to elevate politics over the pipeline’s merits and symbolism over acting in the U.S. national interest. Instead of giving the go-ahead to a project that would create good, middle-class jobs, boost the national economy and strengthen America’s energy security, the president talks about preserving… Keep reading →
The federal approval process for cross-border pipelines (and there are many) historically has taken 18 to 24 months, yet the White House says that more than six years isn’t enough time to determine whether the Keystone XL pipeline is in the national interest. Perhaps the State Department can help them out. On the need for… Keep reading →
A bill aimed to approve construction of the Keystone XL pipeline failed in the Senate by one vote short of the threshold required for passage. On November 18, 2014, the U.S. Senate rejected S. 2280, a bill aimed to approve the cross-border Keystone XL pipeline that would carry crude oil from Alberta to Gulf Coast refineries.… Keep reading →
