[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on the Arabian Peninsula and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Arabian Peninsula Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each week`s roundup to ap@jadaliyya.com by Monday night of every week.]
Regional and International Relations
Sunnis against Shias: a strategic absurdity An editorial on Iran’s and Saudi Arabia’s unrealistic plans to dominate the Middle East and to deny power of the other.
Dahiyeh Residents Blame Saudi for Recent Bombing Mohamed Nazzal argues that residents in Dahiyeh, scene of a car bomb explosion last week, think that Saudi Arabia is behind the car bomb explosion.
Saudi Arabia hails arrest of Iran embassy bomber in Lebanon The Saudi ambassador to Lebanon describes al-Majid as “a terrorist who attacked his own country before attacking the Iranian embassy.”
Ailing Saudi jihadist dies in Lebanese custody: army A news report on the death of Majid al-Majid, who is thought to have been the mastermind behind the attack on the Iranian embassy in Beirut two months ago, dies in Lebanese custody.
John Kerry thanks Saudi king for ‘enthusiastic support’ for peace effort US secretary of state meets with the Saudi king to brief him on his talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
Bahrain calls on regional states to safeguard Gulf security Habib Toumi reports on the Bahraini interior minister’s call for members of the Gulf Cooperation Council to ensure they are not used for operations undermining their security.
Qatar lashes out at Egypt on Brotherhood designation The Qatari foreign ministry issues a statement blasting the Egyptian government’s designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group.
Reports and Opinions
First female law firm opened in Jeddah Fouzia Khan reports on Bayan Mahmoud al-Zahran, the first woman lawyer to practice law in Saudi Arabia, who opened the first female law firm to fight for the rights of Saudi women.
Saudi morality police may relax rules on prayer times: paper The head of morality police says that shops and businesses do not have to close for half an hour during daily prayers in order to pray in mosques, and that the owners can pray in their places of work.
Kuwait prime minister reshuffles cabinet The Kuwaiti prime minister reshuffles his cabinet, replacing the oil and finance ministers, and raising the number of Islamists to four.
Riyadh jails 5 for up to 30 years on Al Qaida charges A Saudi court sentences five people for jail on charges of plotting to blow up an oil refinery in Yanbu.
Repression in Bahrain
Bahrain names Bahraini living in Iran as suspect in foiled attacks Bahrain’s top prosecutor names a Bahraini national in Iran as the suspect behind a foiled attempt to smuggle arms and explosives into the country.
Press freedom groups call for release of Bahraini photographer Roy Greenslade blogs on the arrest of Ahmed al-Fardan, who has been held without charges since the end of December.
Bahrain ‘studying torture claims’ The Bahraini government says it is investigating claims of torture by three men jailed for fifteen years for their roles in bomb attacks in 2012.
Crisis in Yemen
Yemeni soldiers killed in Aden suicide car bombing At least four soldiers are killed in a car bomb attack on the security forces’ headquarters in Aden.
Yemeni al Qaeda claims responsibility for Aden bombing Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claims responsibility for the attack on the security forces’ headquarters in Aden.
Suspected Al Qaida gunmen kill Yemen intel officer A news report on the assassination of Colonel Marwan al-Maqbali, an intelligence officer in Aden, last week.
Clashes kill at least 23 in northern Yemen Clashes between Huthis and Salafis in Dammaj leaves at least twenty-three people dead.
Unhappy end of Yemen dialogue Nasser Arrabyee examines the implication of the failure of the national dialogue for both separatists and unionists.
Yemen parties split over political roadmap Saeed Al Batati analyzes the divisions among political and religious leaders over the question of federalism in Yemen.
Yemen tribesmen blow up oil pipeline after checkpoint killing Tribesmen in Hadramut blew up a major oil pipeline in retaliation for the killing of one of their men by the army.
Migrant Workers
Asian man commits suicide in Oman An Indian man, who worked as a driller, commits suicide in the Gulf state.
India, Saudi Arabia ink ‘landmark’ agreement to protect domestic workers’ rights Saudi Arabia and India sign an agreement that would protect the rights of Indian domestic workers in the kingdom.
Human Rights
Saudi Arabia: Terrorism Law Targets Peaceful Speech Human Rights Watch calls on the Saudi king to reject a new counterterrorism law for criminalizing any speech critical of the government.
Bahrain: 651 Citizens Sentences in Security Cases During 2013 The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights states that Bahraini courts in 2013 issued six hundred and fifty-one imprisonment verdicts based on security charges related to the protests that began in 2011.
Oman – Authorities continue to target human rights defender and their families The Gulf Center for Human Rights condemn the ongoing harassment of Khalfan al-Badwawi, Saeed al-Hashemi, and Hassan al-Roqaishi.
Saudi Arabia – Arbitrary arrest and detention of human rights defender Fawzan Al-Harbi during a court hearing The Gulf Center for Human Rights expresses concerns over the detention of Fawzan al-Harbi.
Media
Egypt detains al-Jazeera journalists on suspicion of Muslim Brotherhood links Egypt’s top prosecutor orders four journalists to be held for fifteen days on suspicion of spreading “false news” and belonging to a “terrorist cell.”
Arrested al-Jazeera journalist’s health causing concern, says Egyptian lawyer Louisa Loveluck reports on the health of Mohamed Fahmy, Al Jazeera English’s Cairo bureau chief.
Arabic
البحرين تربط إيران وسوريا بمخططات لتنفيذ تفجيرات
The Bahraini ministry of interior accuses Syria and Iran of plotting explosions in Bahrain.
أزمة البحرين تهدد بمزيد من الاضطرابات في العام الجديد
A news report on an expected escalation in the Bahraini political crisis in 2014.
تغريدات سعودية تنتقد المكرمة الملكية
Zainab Hawi writes on Saudis` negative reaction to news of the Saudi government`s military grant to Lebanon.
هولاند للسعودية: ما تريدونه نزودكم به ولو مفاعلات نووية
The French president makes clear to the Saudi government that France is ready to provide it with whatever they require.
مركز أبحاث الأمن القومي: التنسيق السري بين إسرائيل والسعودية في ذروته
Zuhair Andrawas writes on a study published by Tel Aviv University on the intensified secret cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
مملكة الرمال: التاريخ الأسود منذ القرن الثامن عشر إلى اليوم
Naji Saffa examines the catastrophic history of al-Saud since the eighteenth century until the present.
خسرت واشنطن فهل تخسر الأمة؟ السعودية صانعة الخصومات
Fouad Ibrahim analyzes Saudi Arabia`s risky regional policy and the likelihood of losing the support of Arab countries after losing the support of Washington.
القاعدة في 2013: من جبال اليمن إلى قلب صنعاء
A news report on the increasing power of al-Qaeda in Yemen in 2013.
اغتيال ضابط مخابرات يمني في عدن
Gunmen assassinate a Yemeni intelligence officer in Aden.
الوجع اليمني صراع اجتماعي لا سياسي
Mona Safwan argues that the rigid class system in Yemen is the cause of wars in Yemen.
يمنيون مبعدون من السعودية: معاناة يومية وترحيل غير إنساني
A news report on the ill-treatment of Yemeni workers in Saudi Arabia, who were recently deported from the kingdom.
السعودية واليمن: العلاقة الملتبسة
Mona Safwan looks into the ambiguous relationship between Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
المملكة.. وسياسة علي وعلى أعدائي
Habib Fayyad examines the Saudi regional policy in light of the latest explosions in Lebanon.
إنها الفتنة السعودية… مجدداً
Ibrahim al-Amin argues that Saudi Arabia is behind the explosion in Beirut.
وزير الدفاع السعودي يبحث مع قائد القيادة المركزية الأمريكية التعاون العسكري بين البلدين
The Saudi minister of defense meets with the commander of United States Central Command to discuss military cooperation between the two countries.
احتدام المعارك بين الحوثيين والقبائل في شمال اليمن ومقتل 26 شخصا في يومين
Twenty-six people are killed in clashes between the Huthis and Salafis in Yemen.
ماجد الماجد… صراع خلف الكواليس بين حزب الله والإستخبارات السعودية وإيران وتيار المستقبل
A news report on the death of an al-Qaeda operative, a Saudi national, while in custody in Lebanon.
الإمارات تجدد مطالبة مواطنيها بعدم السفر إلى لبنان
The United Arab Emirates warned its nationals against traveling to Lebanon.
مصر تستدعي السفير القطري احتجاجا على انتقاد الدوحة "قمع مظاهرات" مؤيدي مرسي
Egypt summons the Qatari ambassador to protest Doha`s criticism of the treatment of protesters supporting the former president, Mohamed Morsi.