Arabian Peninsula Media Roundup (June 5)

[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.]

Repression in Bahrain

Abdulhadi AlKhawaja's statement about ending his hunger strike A Bahrain Center for Human Rights update on al-Khawaja's decision to end his hunger strike in Bahrain.

Crisis in Yemen

Drone wars and state secrecy--how Barak Obama became a hardliner Paul Harris provides an excellent analysis of the increased drone strikes in Yemen and Pakistan under Obama's presidency, in The Guardian.

U.S. drone targets in Yemen raise questions Greg Miller writes on the problematic reliance on drone strikes to target individuals loosely seen as affiliated with Al-Qaeda, in The Washington Post.

Losing Yemeni Hearts and Minds Letta Tayler depicts the Yemenis' loss of confidence in the United States in light of the increasing drone strikes, first published in Salon and reposted by Human Rights Watch.   

In case you missed it: the 'Al Qaeda in Yemen' live chat Ruth Spencer provides a transcript of the live chat with Ghaith Abdul-Ahad on the film "Al Qaeda in Yemen" produced by Frontline, in The Guardian.

Al-Qaeda fighters clash with Yemeni troops An Al-Jazeera English news report on an al-Qaeda attack on Yemeni troops in Radda.

In Pictures: Yemen malnutrition An Al-Jazeera English photo essay of Yemeni children sufferring from malnutrition.

Policy and Reports

Dennis Ross: Saudi king vowed to obtain nuclear bomb after Iran Chemi Shalev writes in Haaretz on the Saudi threat to acquire nuclear weapons if Iran acquires a nuclear bomb.

UAE Welcomes Madonna After Israeli Love Affair Rasha Hilwi analyzes the implications of Dubai's decision to host Madonna after her performance in Isreal, in Al-Akhbar English.

Media

Saudi Ties the Tongues of Its Journalists Mariam Abdallah examines a new law issued by the Saudi Information and Culture Minister limiting journalism to journalists recognized by the Saudi Journalists Association, in Al-Akhbar English.

Imagined Heroism of the Saudi "Nail Polish Girl"
Madawi Al-Rasheed critiques the unorganized women's movement in Saudi Arabia and individual cases of imagined heroism there.

Fire in Qatar

Deadly fire prompts Qatar safety concerns Gregg Carlstrom on the lax safety codes in Qatar which led to the death of nineteen people in a mall in Qatar, on Al-Jazeera English.

Fire Spreading From Play Area of Mall in Qatari Capital Kills 19, Including 13 Children David Goodman describes the fire in the Villaggio Mall in Qatar, in The New York Times.

Education

Why is Qatar investing so much in education? Sean Coughlan writes a celebratory article on education initiatives in Qatar, on BBC Business.

In the Gulf, Boys Falling Behind in School Sara Hamdan reflects on educational standards in boys' public schools in the United Arab Emirates, in The New York Times.

Arabic

أنور الرشيد: مقاومة الأسر الخليجية المالكة للديمقراطية
Anwar al-Rasheed writes on the opposition movements in the Gulf states.

عادل مرزوق: إعلان الاستقلال الثاني
Adil Marzouk calls for the second independence of the Bahraini people.

علي داوود: هكذا تكلم المثقف الخليجي
Ali Dawoud blasts the positions that some intellectuals have taken and their imbrication with power in the Gulf states.

ناهض حتر: حروب الخليج في الهلال الخصيب
Nahid Hattir analyzes the role of the Gulf states in Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon.

فؤاد ابراهيم: المخبوء الكارثي وراء الانخراط السعودي: أفغنة المسألة السورية!
Fouad Ibrahim on the Saudi position on the uprising in Syria.

عباس صفوان: البحرين: تعديلات دستورية "هشة" ... تكرس الأزمة
Abbas Safwan reports on the unsubstantial reforms in Bahrain.

احمد المصري: ازمات مستمرة من مشاكل الحدود والعملة الموحدة الى طوابير الشاحنات حتى ملاعب كرة القدم: الإمارات تعتذر عم المشاركة بكأس العرب بالسعودية ... ومراقبون يرون فيها استمرارا للتوتر بين البلدين
Ahmed al-Masri writes on the tense relations between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

‎مقترح نظام الحكم الملكي الدستوري في المملكة العربية السعودية
Proponents of a constitutional monarchy in Saudi Arabia propose a new draft constitution that safeguards citizens' rights, the rule of law, and social justice.