Qatar and a secret meeting in Kandahar
Summary: a meeting shrouded in secrecy may move the Taliban away from their fanatical repression of women and girls.
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Covering up for Sisi
Summary: Western governments have a long history of covering up for Arab dictators. The latest Home Office information notes on Egypt and the Muslim Brotherhood show a new twist in an old story.
North Sinai
Summary: despite President Sisi’s claim that an ISIS affiliate has been all but eliminated, a brutal military clampdown continues, ensuring that North Sinai’s dirty war will grind on with impoverished local communities paying the heaviest price.
Western Sahara and the limits of transactional deals
Summary: Trump’s granting Morocco’s claim to the Western Sahara looked a clever stroke and a big win for Israel but the road to final diplomatic recognition has hit a bump or two.
ICJ to examine legal nature of Israeli occupation
Summary: the decision by UNGA was hailed as a significant breakthrough for the cause of Palestinian rights, even as Netanyahu inaugurates the most extreme government in Israel’s history.
US-Saudi relations: a new low
Summary: President Biden has promised to hold MbS to account and impose consequences on the ruthless and unstable Saudi leader. The best way for him to do so would be to secure the release of Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz.
What Will OPEC+ Do Next?
Summary: despite the recent uptick in equity markets, global economic prospects look gloomy enough to justify agreement on a further cut in output when OPEC+ meets on 4 December.
Saudi Arabia and Russia: the OPEC+ dynamic duo
Summary: Saudi Arabia’s response to the market threat posed by US shale was to broker a partnership with Russia in 2016 that six years later is working very well, allowing the Saudis to exert geopolitical influence while shrugging off demands from the Biden White House.
From LIV to Trump: MbS’s master stroke?
Summary: a renegade golf tournament handsomely funded through Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund shows MbS has ambitions well beyond the links.
Change winds blowing in the GCC
Summary: the recent decision by OPEC+ to cut production was a jab in the eye to the West but one that has been a long time coming.