The Gulf

Top News: Yemen Confronts Rising Pressure to Divide

A federal state is likely to emerge from the National Dialogue, but it is questionable whether the new constitution will be ratified in a countrywide referendum in November, as Herak—the Southern secessionist party that has largely boycotted the talks—demanded that Yemen be partitioned into the northern and southern states that existed before unification in 1990.

An Insider’s Perspective of Yemen Political Dialogue

By Jason Harmala

Yemen’s National Dialogue, which began on March 18, has been criticized for its lack of inclusiveness but has also received praise for successfully bringing together Yemenis to work through a number of issues. In order to examine the differing perspectives on the Dialogue, the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East hosted a roundtable luncheon […]

The Promise and Perils of Gulf Aid

By Faysal Itani

In a hostile and unstable region, the Gulf Arab states have had to compensate for their limited capacity and appetite for military action. Using immense oil wealth and tight control of policymaking, the ruling families of the Gulf have refined aid and investment into sophisticated foreign policy tools. Gulf aid is likely to impact significantly […]

Eroding Civil Liberties in Kuwait

By Mary Ann Tetreault

The sentencing of popular Kuwaiti opposition leader Musallem al-Barrak on April 15 for insulting the amir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is part of a pattern of deteriorating civil liberties in Kuwait. Although the roots of the current conflict can be traced back to a 2006 social movement whose aim was to change the election […]

Drone Policy Hurts US Image in Yemen

By Danya Greenfield and David Kramer

Most news out of the Middle East these days is dispiriting: the devastating civil war in Syria, the autocratic nature of Muslim Brotherhood rule in Egypt, continued militia activity in Libya, a coalition collapse in Tunisia. Less discussed, and surprisingly positive, is the political situation in Yemen.

US Efforts in Yemen Must Expand Beyond Counterterrorism

By Jason Harmala

Now is the right time to reevaluate US policies in Yemen as President Barack Obama begins his second term and while Yemen is at a critical juncture in its political transition. On March 26, the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East and the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) hosted an event […]