What Middle Eastern Media Is Saying About Khashoggi’s Fate

Juan Cole / Informed Comment Oct 14, 2018 Coverage of what happened to Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul has differed enormously from country to country. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Why Is the U.S. Helping Saudis Kill Children in Yemen?

Juan Cole / Informed Comment Aug 20, 2018 The Saudi and United Arab Emirates' war on Yemen, which was launched by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in March 2015, has flown under the radar among the U.S. public until a recent bombing. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )

Saudi Arabia’s Bin Salman Savagely Lashes Out, From Yemen to Qatar to Canada

Juan Cole / Informed Comment Aug 9, 2018 The yacht-loving Renaissance art collector who tried to pull the wool over the eyes of the American elite is a serial diplomatic disaster. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

How the Saudis Took Trump for a Ride

Ben Freeman and William D. Hartung / TomDispatch May 13, 2018 The president's uncritical embrace of reckless, extreme and undemocratic regimes has far-reaching implications for the future of American foreign policy in the Middle East. Dig deeper ( 11 Min. Read )

Why Comparing Iran’s Clerical Leader to Hitler Is Monstrous

Juan Cole / Informed Comment Apr 5, 2018 Here are five reasons Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in an interview with The Atlantic, was wrong to liken Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to the Nazi leader. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Saudi Crown Prince’s ‘Recognition’ of Israel Is Nothing New

Juan Cole / Informed Comment Apr 4, 2018 The Atlantic's editor in chief breathlessly reported that Mohammed bin Salman told him that both Jews and Palestinians have a right to their own state. There is nothing unprecedented about what the Saudi royal said. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Saudi Prince Hypocritically Touts Religious Tolerance in New York City

Juan Cole / Informed Comment Mar 29, 2018 It would be better for Mohammed bin Salman not to open his mouth on the subject until Christmas can be celebrated at a church in Riyadh, as it is at churches throughout the Muslim world. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Saudi Crown Prince Implicated in a Murder at a Ritz Carlton

Juan Cole / Informed Comment Mar 12, 2018 The body of Saudi Maj. Gen. Ali al-Qahtani is said to have shown up at a morgue bearing torture marks after being transported from the Riyadh hotel where he had been imprisoned by Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Saudi King Fires Army Chief, Officers

Juan Cole / Informed Comment Feb 27, 2018 The government offers no explanation for the seismic upheaval in the Saudi officer corps, but it is widely believed that the palace is impatient with the Yemen war quagmire. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Saudi Saturday Night Massacre: Princes, Cabinet Members Arrested

Juan Cole / Informed Comment Nov 5, 2017 An “anti-corruption” commission led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman took dozens into custody, including billionaire Al-Waleed Bin Talal (pictured). Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Two Impulsive Leaders Fan the Global Flames

By Dilip Hiro / TomDispatch Jul 6, 2017 President Trump's public alignment with Saudi Arabian King Salman in his anti-Iran campaign could engulf the Middle East in a new global crisis. Dig deeper ( 14 Min. Read )

Oil ‘Is Going to Be a Worthless Commodity,’ and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Knows It

By Juan Cole / Informed Comment Jun 26, 2017 Crude oil prices are cratering, down 20 percent this year, in the biggest six-month free fall in years. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )