[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
Will the GCC survive Qatar-Saudi rivalry? Dahlia Kholaif examines the impact of the Saudi-Qatari split on the future of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Saudi FM says Qatar should `revise` policies Prince Saud al-Faisal emphasizes that rapprochement with Qatar will not be possible unless Doha changes its policies.
Bahrain confirms full support to Saudi Arabia, UAE Habib Toumi writes on the Bahraini foreign minister’s assertion that Doha fully supports Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Qatar says no differences with Saudi Arabia over Syria The Qatari foreign minister dismisses rumors about a conflict between Doha and Riyadh over Syria.
Riyadh: no international mediation with Qatar The Saudi foreign minister emphasizes that Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates will not change their position on Qatar.
US reaffirms military ties with Saudis despite tensions The US defense secretary stresses the importance of US military ties with Riyadh during the Saudi deputy defense minister’s visit to Washington.
US confirms Obama dropped plans to meet Gulf leaders The White House will not arrange a summit with the Gulf leaders during the US president’s visit to Riyadh.
Gulf aid geared to revolution`s side effects rather than causes Amr Kotb argues that Gulf aid to Egypt does not solve structural socioeconomic problems.
Guantanamo Prisoner Asks to Go Home to Yemen Pauline Jelinek reports that Ali Ahmad al-Razihi, who denies US allegations that he is a former member of al-Qaeda, wishes to return to Yemen.
Saudi Arabia Brings the Fight Back Home Kristin Diwan examines the Saudi decision to ban the Muslim Brotherhood and the conflict within the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Quarter of Saudi jihadis ‘have returned’ The Saudi interior minister reaffirms that twenty-five percent of Saudi fighters in Syria returned home.
Saudi Arabia’s Muslim Brotherhood predicament Stephane Lacroix analyzes the implications of the kingdom’s escalation against the organization, which indicates a shift from its tendency to avoid attacks on the Brothers.
Nine leaders to attend Arab summit Habib Toumi reports on the Arab summit to be held in Kuwait this week.
Arab summit at time of deep rifts A news report on the upcoming Arab summit and the rift among Arab countries.
Reports and Opinions
Middle East Sustains Appetite for Arms Thalif Deen writes on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, who lead the region in arms expenditure.
Saudi Arabia sentences 28 for backing militants A Saudi court jails twenty-eight men for security offences.
Qatar World Cup 2022 investigation: former Fifa vice-president Jack Warner and family paid millions An investigative report on business dealings involving FIFA’s former vice-president and a company owned by Mohamed Bin Hammam, a Qatari football official.
Fifa chief investigator to interview members over Qatar World Cup vote A news report on Michael Garcia’s investigation into the controversial vote for the 2022 World Cup.
Saudi accepts 181 UN human rights proposals Safeeyah Kharsany reports on Saudi Arabia’s acceptance of the majority of recommendations made by the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Saudi Arabia`s human rights `rebrand` is fooling no one Nesrine Malik provides a critical analysis of the Saudi concessions on human rights demands.
Repression in Bahrain
Bahrain Shias protest against government Thousands of Bahrainis march near Manama chanting “No to discrimination.”
A cry for justice from inside Bahrain’s prisons Ahmed Rida writes on human rights violations in Bahrain since the outbreak of the uprising three years ago.
Bomb blast in Bahrain’s Sitra village injures policeman A bomb explosion on Sunday leaves one policeman with minor injuries.
Bahrain hands bomb-makers 15-year jail sentences Eleven people are handed jail sentences for “manufacturing bombs for terror purposes.”
Crisis in Yemen
Yemen army clashes with Houthis turn deadly New clashes between the Yemeni army and the Huthis in Omran left twelve people dead last week.
Yemen attack on military checkpoint ‘kills 20 soldiers’ Twenty soldiers are killed when militants from Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula attacked a military checkpoint in Hadramawt.
Al Houthi rebels protest, block road in tense north Yemen Hundreds of rebels protested in Omran on Sunday, demanding the sacking of the governor and the regional army chief.
Yemen suffers from ‘institutionalised’ problems Saeed Al Batati analyzes the persistent influence of the old regime in Yemen.
Yemenis want Saleh tried over uprising killings Hundreds of Yemenis demonstrate in Sanaa on the third anniversary of the uprising, demanding the trial of the former president and his aides over the death of protesters in 2011.
South Yemen suicide car bomb ‘kills one’ A news report on a suicide car bombing at a military intelligence headquarters in Tuban last week.
Yemeni tribesmen blow up Marib oil pipeline, stop crude flows Tribesmen blew up Yemen’s main crude export pipeline on Saturday.
Death of traumatised boy sparks outrage at US drone strikes in Yemen The death of Hamza Hassan bin Dahaman, who saw the bodies of people killed by a US military drone, renews opposition to the strikes.
Migrant Workers
FIFA `not responsible for national policies` Jerome Valcke, FIFA’s secretary-general, says that the treatment of migrant workers in Qatar does not fall under FIFA’s umbrella.
FIFA `powerless` over Qatar labour rights FIFA president asserts that his organization has “some responsibility” over the welfare of migrant workers in Qatar, but it cannot interfere.
Sepp Blatter coy over whether Qatar could lose out on 2022 World Cup Owen Gibson analyzes the FIFA president’s statement on the condition of migrant workers in Qatar.
Saudis` Mass Expulsions Putting Somalis in Danger Laetitia Bader and Adam Coogle shed light on the ill-treatment of Somali nationals before their deportations from the kingdom.
Unpaid Indians in Saudi Arabia call for help Eleven Indian women working in a hospital appeal for help after not receiving their salaries for nine months.
Media
The top 30 young people in digital media: Nos 10-1 The Guardian names anti-drone campaigner Farea al-Muslimi, a Yemeni journalist, number one on the list.
Journalists Constantly Harrassed and Attacked in Yemen Fakhri Al-Arashi reports on the ongoing harassment of journalists in Yemen.
Teen hacker hits five Omani government websites A fourteen-year-old hacker says he hacked five Omani government websites to express his displeasure with the poor services provided by telecom companies.
Saudi appeals court upholds 12-year jail term for TV channel owner A Saudi man, who was not named, is sentenced to jail for “undermining the state and seeking to incite unrest.”
Q&A: Jailed Al Jazeera cameraman Mohamed Badr Mohamed Ghulam speaks to Mohamed Badr, an Al Jazeera cameraman who was jailed for seven months in Egypt.
Egypt`s Mansour to expedite Al Jazeera trial The Egyptian interim president promises the family of Peter Greste to help resolve his case.
Top journalists join #FreeAJStaff campaign A news report on Al Jazeera’s campaign calling for the release of the imprisoned journalists.
Al-Jazeera journalist jailed in Egypt loses full use of arm Patrick Kingsley reports on Mohamed Fahmy, whose shoulder injury has worsened after he was denied medical care since his arrest.
Al Jazeera journalist gets Egypt medical aid The Egyptian interim president asserts that Mohamed Fahmy was sent to hospital to receive treatment for his fractured upper arm.
Culture
The First International Yemeni Film and Arts Festival Annelle Sheline reports on the first international film festival, organized by the Yemen Peace Project, held at the Institute for Middle East Studies at George Washington University.
Saudi Arabia bans ‘The 99’ animated series The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta bans Nayef Al Mutawa’s animated series “The 99,” which depicts the ninety-nine names of God.
Education
The Deterioration of Yemeni Academic Institutions Murad Alazzany and Robert Sharp examine the state of higher education in Yemen.
Qatar university marks anniversary with fanfare Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar marks the tenth anniversary of its establishment.
Statelessness and Citizenship
Kuwait: Security crackdown on Bedoon community renews tensions Yazan al-Saadi writes on the renewed crackdown on the Bedoon in Kuwait, following protests in February.
Human Rights
Yemen: Three years on no justice for Sana’a protest killings Amnesty International urges the Yemeni authorities to investigate the death of fifty protesters during the uprising in 2011.
Bahrain: Torture Continues In Bahrain, Sadiq Al-Shabani Reportedly Another Victim The Bahrain Center for Human Rights expresses its concerns over the ill-treatment of the actor Jaffar al-Shabani, who was tortured in the Criminal Investigation Building.
UAE: Arrest of young human rights defender as on-line activists continue to be targeted The Gulf Center for Human Rights condemns the arrest of Osama Al-Najjar, an Emirati activist, whose father is one of the so-called UAE 94 activists on trial.
Education Under Attack Human Rights Watch offers a detailed overview of the condition of education in Yemen, where schools and universities are destroyed or used as barracks.
UN Human Rights Council: Adoption of the UPR Outcome of Saudi Arabia Human Rights Watch expresses regret over the failure of the Saudi regime to accept unreservedly and fully all the recommendations of the Human Rights Council.
Saudi Arabia: New Terrorism Regulations Assault Rights Human Rights Watch deplores the new Saudi terrorism law for its criminalization of dissidence and free speech.
Arabic
أوباما في الرياض: معركة تحصين الداخل السعودي
Fouad Ibrahim analyzes the US president`s visit to Saudi Arabia.
من بندر بن سلطان إلى محمد بن نايف: السعودية إلى أين؟
Fouad Ibrahim reviews the Saudi policy towards the Arab uprisings in general and Syria in particular
السعودية و«الإخوان»: نهاية دامية لزواج مصلحة
Mohamed Said Risas analyzes the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the Muslim Brotherhood.
السعودية والإمارات من بين أكثر الدول تسلحاً
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates take the lead in arms expenditure in the region.
اليمن: تعيينات عسكرية جديدة تكشف تأثيراً سعودياً
Khalid al-Hamadi argues the new appointments in the Yemeni army show the Yemeni president succumbed to Saudi pressure.
قيادي يمني جنوبي: البيض على علاقة بتنظيم القاعدة
A leader of Yemen`s Southern Movement accuses Ali Salim al-Beidh, the former president of South Yemen, of having ties with al-Qaeda.
مسؤول يمني: خروج كافة المسلحين الحوثيين من همدان غربي صنعاء
Huthi fighters withdraw from the city of Hamdan in Yemen.
البحرين تأمل في حل ودي سريع للأزمة الخليجية
Bahrain`s minister of information asserts that the regime hopes the conflicts among the Gulf states will be resolved soon.
وزير خارجية البحرين يتراجع عن تصريحاته ويؤكد وقوف بلاده بجانب الرياض وابوظبي ضد الأخوان
Ahmed al-Masri reports on the Bahraini foreign minister`s disavowal of his earlier statement on the Muslim Brotherhood, and his assertion that Doha fully supports Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
صرخة من داخل سجون البحرين: أنصفونا
Ahmed Rida writes on human rights violations in Bahrain since the outbreak of the uprising three years ago.
علي سعد: فقدان البصر... لا البصيرة
Ahmed Youssef manages to talk to Ali Saad, a Bahraini activist who has been imprisoned for eleven months.
أحكام على 11 شخصاً بالسجن 15 عاماً
Eleven people are handed jail sentences for “manufacturing bombs for terror purposes.”
علي سلمان لـ«السفير»: الحوار مجمّد ومستمرون بسلميّتنا
Thousands of Bahrainis march near Manama chanting “No to discrimination.”
قطر والسعودية... وأميركا بينهما
Munthir Khaddam analyzes the Saudi-Qatari split and the US position on this rivalry.
العمل الجماعي العربي والمجلس المصري السعودي الإماراتي البحريني المقترح
Mohamed Abd al-Hakam Diyyab examines a proposed Arab council that would include Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates.
قمّة «الخلافات المكبوتة» في الكويت غداً: الجرح عميق... وتغيير السياسات بحاجة إلى وقت
A news report on the upcoming Arab summit in Kuwait and the deep differences among the Arab states.
‘قمة العربان’ في الكويت: انقاذ ‘ما لا يمكن انقاذه’
An editorial on the Arab summit and the challenge to save what cannot be saved.
لن تتوقف الحرب في سوريا حتى تتنهي حرب الوكالة بين إيران والسعودية وسيحل السلام على مراحل
Ibrahim Darwish argues that the war in Syria will not stop unless the proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia comes to an end.
الأردن لا يريد مواجهة الحلقة الثانية من مسلسل التصعيد السعودي ضد الأخوان بعد التفرغ من قطر
Bassam al-Badreen writes on Jordan`s reluctance to become involved in the Saudi escalation against the Muslim Brotherhood.