[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
Yemen drone strike lawsuit forces US to face non-western `war on terror` victims Sabrina Siddiqui writes on the disparity in the White House’s responses to the death of two Western hostages and that of hundreds of Yemenis in drone strikes.
Yemeni families sue US over drone strike that caused `unlawful deaths` The families of two Yemeni men killed in drone strikes sue the US government.
Yemen al-Qaeda chief al-Wuhayshi killed in US strike Al-Qa‘ida in the Arabian Peninsula confirms the death of Nasser al-Wuhayshi in a US drone strike.
Death of al-Qaida leader masks reality of drone strikes: they don`t bring stability Ian Black reflects on the impact of US drone strikes on Yemen.
Is Yemen`s new al-Qaeda leader compromised? Clayton Swisher provides a profile of the new leader of Al-Qa‘ida in the Arabian Peninsula.
Six Yemeni detainees transferred out of Guantánamo Bay to Oman Six Yemenis held at Guantanamo Bay arrive in Oman.
Boeing, Qatar Confirm Purchase of Four C-17s Boeing and Qatar sign an agreement for the purchase of four more C-17 Globemaster III airlifters.
Analysts: Gulf-Egypt ties likely to survive turbulence Ismaeel Naar argues that Egypt and the Gulf states’ mutual need for one another will transcend their differences.
Reports and Opinions
WikiLeaks Begins Releasing Leaked Saudi Arabia Cables WikiLeaks publishes thousands of documents from the Saudi foreign ministry.
Saudi Arabia warns citizens about `fake` information after Wikileaks release 60,000 secret documents giving an insight into Saudi foreign policy and the behaviour of the royals Doug Bolton reports on the Saudi authorities’ reaction to WikiLeaks’ release of Saudi files.
5 things we`ve learned from the Saudi Arabia Wikileaks documents Doug Bolton provides an account of the released Saudi documents.
Cables Released by WikiLeaks Reveal Saudis’ Checkbook Diplomacy Ben Hubbard argues that the WikiLeaks documents show that everyone wanted something from Saudi Arabia.
Saudi blogger Raif Badawi may receive second set of lashes on Friday Jason Burke reports on the likely resumption of the flogging of Raif Badawi.
UK government must end its support for Saudi Arabia Human Rights activists and organizations urge the British government to cease its support of Saudi Arabia after the latter upheld Raif Badawi’s flogging and jail sentences.
Qatar Airways urged to scrap policy allowing it to sack pregnant cabin crew The International Labor Organization calls upon Qatar to scrap contracts that allow it to dismiss cabin crewmembers for being pregnant.
Repression in Bahrain
Bahrain opposition leader Ali Salman sentenced to four years in jail A Bahraini court sentences Ali Salman to four years in prison on charges of disobedience and hatred.
UK adds to condemnation of Bahrain over jailing of Shia opposition leader British human rights organizations deplore the Bahraini authorities’ decision to sentence Ali Salman to prison.
Bahrain: Explosives Seized, Police Say Bahrain announces that it seized explosives earmarked for use in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
Crisis in Yemen
Yemen Food Security Brief The Famine Early Warning Systems Network issues a special report on food shortages in Yemen.
Humanitarian crisis in Yemen: voices from the conflict Naomi Larsson reports on Yemenis’ views of the ongoing Saudi war on Yemen.
One Million Yemenis Displaced and 2,288 people killed Since the Beginning of the Saudi-led Campaign A news report on the death toll and the number of displaced Yemenis due to the Saudi military operation on Yemen.
Devastation in Yemen: historic district of Sana`a before and after – in pictures A photo essay on the impact of Saudi bombardment of an old quarter in Sanaa.
`Air strike` kills five in historic district of Sana`a Five Yemenis die in a Saudi airstrike on an old quarter in Sanaa.
Saudi-led naval blockade leaves 20m Yemenis facing humanitarian disaster Julian Borger asserts that eighty percent of Yemenis are in dire need of food, water, and medical supplies.
Houthis accuse Yemen`s government of manipulation The leader of the Houthis accuses the exiled government of Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi of attempting to impose its own agenda on the peace talks in Geneva.
The Multiple Wars in Yemen Susanne Dahlgren and Anne-Linda Amira Augustin analyze Yemen’s future as a state in light of the UN-brokered peace talks in Geneva.
UN launches fresh Yemen aid appeal as WHO confirms dengue fever outbreak The World Health Organization confirms that three thousand cases of dengue fever have been recorded since March.
Yemen: car bombs target Shia mosques and Houthi headquarters Four car bombs, two driven by suicide bombers, target three mosques and Houthi headquarters in Sanaa.
ISIS Claims Responsibility for Deadly Bombings in Yemen The Islamic State in Iraq and Greater Syria claims responsibility for the attacks on three mosques in Sanaa.
Deep divisions slow Yemen truce effort The peace talks in Geneva hits a deadlock after the parties involved fail to agree on the number of delegates who can participate in them.
Yemen peace talks in Geneva collapse A news report on the collapse of the peace talks in Geneva after the foreign minister of the ousted Yemeni government accused the Houthi representatives of lack of cooperation.
Saudi air strikes kill 15 in Yemen, Houthi-run media reports Women and children are among the latest victims of Saudi airstrikes on Yemen.
Yemen’s war: No end in sight An Economist article on the ongoing Saudi bombardment of Yemen.
Media
Al Jazeera says its journalist to remain in German custody German authorities arrest Ahmed Mansour in Berlin at Egypt’s request.
Migrant Workers
Ramadan Reflections Hit Close to Home Rothna Begum writes on the conditions of migrant workers in the Gulf states on the eve of Ramadan.
Human Rights
Kuwait: Authorities Dissolve Transparency Society Human Rights Watch deplores the Kuwaiti authorities’ decision to close the Kuwait chapter of Transparency International.
Kuwait: Blogger Loses Appeal of 6-Year Sentence Human Rights Watch condemns the Kuwaiti Court of Cessation’s decision to uphold the jail sentence of a blogger who criticized Saudi Arabia in his tweets.
Yemen: Houthis, Southern Fighters Endanger Aden Hospital Human Rights Watch expresses concern over the serious abuses committed by the Houthis and southern groups at a hospital in Aden.
Saudi Arabia: 100 Executions Since January 1 Human Rights Watch expresses concern over the spike in the number of beheadings in Saudi Arabia this year.
Bahrain: Prominent opposition leader jailed unfairly: Sheikh ‘Ali Salman Amnesty International condemns the Bahraini authorities’ decision to sentence Ali Salman for four years.
Saudi Arabia: Every lash of Raif Badawi defies international law Amnesty International deplores the Saudi regime’s decision to resume the flogging of Raif Badawi.
Bahrain: Women human rights defenders Zainab Al-Khawaja and Ghada Jamsheer facing years in jail The Gulf Center for Human Rights deplores the Bahraini authorities’ decision to sentence al-Khawaja and Jamsheer to prison.
NGOs Condemn 4 Year Prison Sentence Against Bahrain Opposition Leader Sheikh Ali Salman The Bahrain Center for Human Rights along with other organizations are appalled by Ali Salman’s jail sentence.
Arabic
«الأخبار» تنشر برقيات سرية من السفارات السعودية حول العالم
Al-Akhbar Newspaper publishes secret letters, recently released by WikiLeaks, from Saudi embassies all over the world.
قطر | الفيل الأبيض الصغير في الخليج
Hassan Chaqrani writes on Qatar’s economic growth and projects.
البحرين تستدعي السفير العراقي
Bahrain summons the Iraqi ambassador to Doha to protest Iraq-based terrorist organizations’ intervention in Bahraini affairs.
السلاح الأميركي لدول الخليج يقلق إسرائيل
The Israeli defense minister expresses concern over the Washington’s arms deal with the Gulf states.
حملة "حريتهم حقّهم": السعودي وليد أبو الخير سجين الشهر
The campaign “Their Freedom is Their Right” declares Walid Abu al-Khair, a jailed Saudi activist, as the prisoner of the month.
منتقد السعودية محكوم بالسجن 6 سنوات في الكويت
A Kuwaiti court upholds the jail sentence of a Kuwaiti blogger who criticized Saudi Arabia in tweets.
السعودية و«داعش» بين قرنين
Ali Murad compares the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Greater Syria to that of Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia during the early decades of the twentieth century.
البحرين: تجريد 56 معارضاً من جنسيتهم
The Bahraini authorities strip fifty-six opposition figures of their nationalities.
البحرين | 4 سنوات سجن لعلي سلمان: عندما «تُحاكم الديموقراطية»!
A Bahraini court sentences Ali Salman to four years in prison.
بورتريه | علي سلمان... لؤلؤة بحرينية بيضاء عصيّة على الكسر
Hussein Khalaf provides a profile of Ali Salman, and describes him as an unbreakable pearl.
شيخ البحرين المظلومة
Khalil Harb sings the praises of Ali Salman.
سلمان في رسالة من محبسه: مستمر في النضال حتى تحقيق المطالب
Ali Salman writes a letter from his prison, addressed to the Bahraini people, asserting that he will continue his struggle until Bahrain becomes a constitutional monarchy based on justice, international laws, and pluralism.
البحرين تضبط متفجرات «كان يُزمع استخدامها في هجمات ضد السعودية»
Bahrain announces that it seized explosives earmarked for use in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
الواقع والمأمول: رصد لحالات التطبيع في دول مجلس التعاون وفرص المقاطعة وسحب الاستثمارات
Ahmed Sabri, Israa al-Muftah, and Saleh al-Amer document instances of normalization between the Gulf state and Israel.
«مجتهد»: سلمان اتصل بالصهاينة منذ الثمانينيات
Mujtahid tweets that King Salman bin Abdullaziz has been in touch with Israeli officials since the 1980s.
الاتصالات الإسرائيلية ـ السعودية: وحدة العدو
Mohammed Budair argues that a common threat, represented by Iran, has pushed Israel and Saudi Arabia closer.
بوتين يلتقي ولي ولي العهد السعودي اليوم
The Russian president meets with the Saudi deputy crown prince.
قطر | زيارة تميم الأولى للإمارات بعد انتهاء أزمة السفراء
The Qatari emir paid a visit to the United Arab Emirates last week.
مقتل زعيم "القاعدة في جزيرة العرب" بغارة أميركية
The leader of al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula dies in a US drone strike on Yemen.
الكويت: اعتقال مسلم البراك
Kuwaiti authorities arrest Mussallam al-Barrak in order to carry out a final court decision to sentence him to two years in prison on charges of insulting the emir.
جنيف اليمني «على مستوى منخفض»
The United Nations announces that the negotiations during the peace talks in Geneva will be low key.
الحكومة اليمنية ترفض المصالحة: نتمسّك بالقرار الأممي
The Riyadh-based Yemeni government asserts that it rejects reconciliation and demands the withdrawal of the Houthis from all the cities they hold.
بان كي مون يدعو إلى «هدنة إنسانية فورية» في اليمن مع حلول رمضان
The United Nations secretary-general calls for “an immediate humanitarian truce” in Yemen on the eve of Ramadan.
«جنيف اليمني» بلا أفق: هدنة إنسانية خلال رمضان؟
A new report on the lack of prospects of the peace talks in Geneva.
«جنيف اليمني» يغرق في الفوضى.. قبل أن يبدأ
Wassim Ibrahim argues that the peace talks in Geneva drowned in chaos before they began.
الحوثيون يسيطرون على عاصمة محافظة حدودية مع السعودية
The Houthis take control of a city on the borders with Saudi Arabia.
«داعش» يتبنى مسؤولية تفجيرات في صنعاء
The Islamic State in Iraq and Greater Syria claims responsibility for the attacks on three mosques in Sanaa.
"القاعدة" يعدم سعوديين بتهمة التجسس لأميركيا
Al-Qa’ida in Yemen executes two Saudi nationals on suspicion of spying for the United States.