Saudi Arabia’s Impracticable Alliances

by Ahmed E. Souaiaia * Abstract: Before WikiLeaks released the Saudi diplomatic cables in 2010, the rulers of Saudi Arabia had cultivated the image of being deliberate, moderate, and averse to confrontation. Since the start of 2011, the Saudi rulers have behaved in ways that annulled that perception. The Saudi rulers hosted the Tunisian dictator Read more

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The Genealogy, Ideology, and Future of ISIL and its Derivatives

byAhmed E. Souaiaia Abstract: The organization known today simply as the “Islamic State,” or by its Arabic acronym, Daesh (English, ISIL), has historical and ideological roots that go beyond the territories it now controls. These deep roots give Daesh confidence that it will succeed in dominating the world, but give others reasons to believe that Read more

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ISIL cannot be defeated militarily without addressing the roots of its genocidal creed and confronting its sectarian backers

by Ahmed E. Souaiaia* Less than a year after the start of the crisis in Syria, I warned that militarizing the Syrian uprising is a dangerous step. Picking sides and arming them would amount to  launching a new proxy-war similar to the one that took place in Afghanistan in the 1970’s and 1980’s. The danger, Read more

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