[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
Why is Saudi Arabia using oil as a weapon? Michael Stephens argues that Saudi Arabia’s decision to lower the price of oil is motivated by its efforts to see Iran’s profits affected.
UK to establish £15m permanent Mid East military Bahraini authorities agree to host the first permanent British base in the Middle East at the Mina Salman Port.
Haaretz investigation: Secret flight operating between Israel and Gulf state Barak Ravid and Avi Scharf analyze the data of a civilian plane, which follows a permanent flight path between Ben Gurion Airport and an airport in an unnamed Gulf state.
Exclusive: Saudi suspends aid to Yemen after Houthi takeover – sources Yara Bayoumy and Mohammed Ghobari analyze Saudi Arabia’s interference in Yemeni affairs.
Security issues top Manama Dialogue agenda A news report on the Manama Dialogue, an international security conference that is held annually in Bahrain.
Islamic State followers say they were behind Riyadh shooting A group of supporters of the Islamic State claims responsibility for the shooting of a Danish national last week.
Qatar bids £2.6bn for Canary Wharf Rupert Neate reports on Qatar’s bid to buy London’s Canary Wharf.
US teacher killed as Americans targeted in separate Abu Dhabi attacks A woman stabs a US teacher to death in Boutik Mall.
Dubai stabbing suspect inspired by `terrorist ideology` found on the internet The Emirati authorities say claim that the woman who stabbed the US teacher had no links to militant groups.
Reports and Opinions
Saudi arrests 135 people on terrorism charges The Saudi interior minister asserted that some of those arrested have links with the Islamic State in Iraq and Greater Syria.
Two Saudi women remain in custody a week after defying driving ban Two women who defied the ban on driving have been in detention for six days.
Repression in Bahrain
Bahraini activist Zainab al-Khawaja sentenced over king’s photo A Bahraini court sentences the human right activist to three years in prison.
Bahrain activist Maryam al-Khawaja jailed for a year in absentia for assault Maryam al-Khawaja is sentenced in absentia to one year in jail for assaulting two policemen.
Expelled U.S. rights official returns to Bahrain The Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Tom Malinowski, who was earlier expelled from Bahrain, returns to Manama.
Bahrain Islamists suffer worst defeat since 2002 Habib Houmi analyzes the results of the parliamentary elections in Bahrain.
Bahrain announces new government Bahrain announces the formation of a new cabinet, which consists of seventeen minsters.
Crisis in Yemen
Militant attack in southern Yemen kills 4 soldiers A military attack in Abyan province leaves four soldiers dead and three wounded.
South Yemen and the question of secession Martin Reardon argues that the secessionist movement will fail in the long run due to its fragmentation and to the limited sources of southern Yemen.
Yemen hostage: US reveals bid to rescue Luke Somers The US government announces the failure of an operation to free Luke Somers.
US hostage Luke Somers and SA Pierre Korkie killed during Yemen rescue bid Al-Qa‘ida militants kill US and South African hostages after the failure of their rescue bid.
US defends Yemen al-Qaida raid that led to deaths of two hostages US officials defend their rescue raid, and say that they did not know Korkie was held at the same site.
Thirteen killed in failed U.S. hostage rescue bid in Yemen Mohammed Ghobari and Mohammed Mukhashaf report on the human toll of the failed rescue bid.
Car bomb kills three outside Iran envoy`s residence in Yemen A Yemeni civilian and two soldiers die in a car explosion near the house of the Iranian ambassador.
Migrant Workers
UAE ambassador to Ireland to be replaced Khalid Nasser Rashid Lootah, who was found to have kept three domestic servants as “slaves” by the Employment Appeals Tribunal, is to be replaced.
Sepp Blatter: Qatar World Cup workers’ welfare is not Fifa’s responsibility FIFA president says that the welfare of migrant workers in Qatar is the responsibility of the companies who hired them.
Human Rights
UAE: Terrorism Law Threatens Lives, Liberty Human Rights Watch deplores the new Emirati counterterrorism law.
Saudi Arabia: Release Women Driving Activists Human Rights Watch urges Saudi authorities to release two women who were detained for defying the ban on driving.
7 ways Saudi Arabia is silencing people online Amnesty International documents the methods that the Saudi regime employs to silence people online.
Bahrain: Three-year sentence for ripping up photo of the King Amnesty International condemns Zainab al-Khawaja’s jail sentence.
Saudi Arabia: Arrest of two activists who defend the women`s right to drive a car The Gulf Center for Human Rights deplores the arrest of two Saudi women who defied the ban on driving.
Saudi Arabia: GCHR website blocked The Gulf Center for Human Rights says that Saudi authorities have blocked its website in the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia: Human rights defender Samar Badawi banned from travel prior to EU meeting The Gulf Center for Human Rights expresses concern over the Saudi regime’s decision to ban Samar Badawi from traveling.
Arabic
البحرين: السجن عاماً للناشطة مريم الخواجة
Bahraini authorities sentence the activist, Maryam al-Khawaja, in absentia for one year in prison.
ملك البحرين يعيد تكليف خليفة برئاسة الحكومة
The Bahraini king asked the head of the resigned government to form the new government following the parliamentary elections.
البحرين: استبعاد سميرة رجب ووزراء من العائلة الحاكمة
A news report on the new Bahraini government.
نظام البحرين يعلن نجاح الانتخابات المعارضة تشكك بنسبة الإقبال
The Bahraini regime announces the success of the parliamentary elections while the opposition cast doubt on this assessment due to the low turnout.
مالينوسكي عاد شخصاً «مرغوب فيه» في البحرين
Tom Malinowski—the assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor, who was expelled from Bahrain by the Bahraini authorities—returns to Manama.
الدوحة تحتضن غداً قمة «التحديات»
Doha hosts a summit for the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council following the reconciliation between Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Manama on one side and Doha on the other.
القاعدة البريطانية في البحرين: عودة الاستعمار إلى «شرق السويس»!
A news report on the return of colonialism to the east of the Suez Canal following the announcement that Britain will establish a base in Bahrain.
القاعدة البحرية.. "مكافأة" بحرينية للصمت البريطاني
Nagam Asad argues that the new British base in Bahrain will guarantee the silence of the United Kingdom over human rights abuses in the Gulf state.
إيران النووية وهاجس "داعش" يهيمنان على "حوار المنامة"
The danger of the Islamic State and Iran’s nuclear power dominate the agenda of the Manama Dialogue.
اليمن:«الحراك الجنوبي» يبحث عن «مبادرة دولية» ترعى الانفصال
Yassir al-Yafi’ writes on the Southern Movement’s efforts to secede from Yemen through “an international initiative.”
اليمن | «أنصار الله» يطبّع العلاقات مع «الإصلاح»... ضد هادي؟
A news report on a possible alliance between the Houthi fighters and al-Islah Party against the Yemeni president.
اليمن: اتّهام "القاعدة" بقتل جنديين في الجنوب
A Yemeni military source accuses al-Qa’ida of killing two soldiers in the south.
اليمن: قتيل و8 جرحى خلال تظاهرة لـ"الحراك" الجنوبي
Eight people die during clashes between Yemeni security forces and protesters demanding the secession of southern Yemen.
نجاة السفير الإيراني في اليمن من الموت
A Yemeni civilian and two soldiers die in a car explosion near the house of the Iranian ambassador.
اليمن: "القاعدة" يهدد بإعدام رهينة أميركي
Al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula gives the United States a three-day ultimatum to meet its demands or it will kill a US hostage who was kidnapped more than a year ago.
اليمن: مقتل رهينة أميركي في عملية أميركية لإنقاذه
A news report on the death of two hostages during a failed US rescue bid.
السعودية تبتزّ اليمن: لا مساعدات ما لم ينسحب الحوثيون من صنعاء
Saudi Arabia is blackmailing Yemen though linking its financial aid with the Houthis’ withdrawal from Sanaa.
التوافق السعودي ـ الإيراني مطلب أميركي: عودة إلى العمودين المتساندين
Fouad Ibrahim argues that United States’ demands are behind Saudi Arabia’s efforts to reconcile its differences with Iran.
السعودية: العراق سيغيّر وجه المنطقة
The Iraqi prime minister meets with the Saudi foreign minister, and asserts that the stability of Iraq will change the face of the region.
السعودية: اعتقال 135 شخصاً في قضايا تتعلق بـ«الإرهاب»
Saudi authorities arrest one hundred and thirty-five people on suspicion of terrorism.
الكويت تمنح تأشيرات لديبلوماسيين سوريين
The Kuwaiti deputy foreign minister announces that his country is reopening the Syrian Embassy though he asserts that this move does not mean the normalization of relations between Kuwait and Syria.
السعودية تدعو لتسليح سريع للمقاتلين
The Saudi minister of the National Guard reveals that there is a plan to arm Syrian rebels very soon.
ممالك الخليج على طريق الانهيار
A book review of Christopher Davidson’s After the Sheikhs: The Coming Collapse of the Gulf Monarchies.
«مبارك» يؤخر الصلح القطري ـ المصري مجدداً
Iman Ibrahim argues that the acquittal of the former Egyptian president will delay the Qatari-Egyptian reconciliation.
رئيس الاستخبارات المصرية في الرياض: مبادرة جديدة على خط القاهرة ــ الدوحة
The head of Egypt’s intelligence agency pays a visit to Saudi Arabia.
الإمارات: توقيف امرأة بتهمة قتل مُدرسة أميركية
Emirati authorities arrest a woman accused of killing a US teacher in a mall.