All wars require casus belli, ostensible justifications. After all, despite humanity’s long history of vicious warfare, interstate combat often requires a government distant from its working class to motivate its people to kill and die for distant institutions and esoteric ideologies. That said, Washington doesn’t exactly have a strong track record of honesty regarding its … Read more
As always, if you appreciate my work and want to contribute to independent media, consider becoming a monthly Patron, or visit the Support Page. Top Links The Tragedy of Saudi Arabia’s Yemen War (Gut wrenching article on Yemen’s starving children, The New York Times) Saudis’ Image Makers: A Troll Army and a Twitter Insider (Very good article. Saudi government trolls … Read more
As always, if you appreciate my work and want to contribute to independent media, consider becoming a monthly Patron, or visit the Support Page. Top Links Saudi Account of Khashoggi Killing Is Widely Denounced (Three weeks and this is the best lie they could come up with? NBC) Mueller Report PSA: Prepare for Disappointment (Shocked, shocked I tell you, Politico) … Read more
The roots of that lobby’s rise to prominence in Washington lie in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. As you may remember, with 15 of those 19 suicidal hijackers being citizens of Saudi Arabia, it was hardly surprising that American public opinion had soured on the Kingdom. In response, the worried … Read more
If you appreciate my work and want to contribute to independent media, consider becoming a monthly Patron, or visit the Support Page. Event Note: I’ll be part of an excellent Bitcoin panel in Denver on April 25th. If you’re in the area or want to be, it’d be great to meet some of you. Top Links The CBS Interview With … Read more
Two years ago, German intelligence warned the world of the unique risks Saudi Arabia posed to the region. I covered it at the time in the post, German Intelligence Warns – Saudi Arabia to Play “Destabilizing Role” in the Middle East. Here’s an excerpt: Saudi Arabia is at risk of becoming a major destabilizing influence in … Read more
In Part 1 of this series, I detailed the recent aggressive power plays initiated by 30-something Saudi princeling Mohamed bin Salman (MBS), who is effectively the absolute leader of Saudi Arabia at this time. I also highlighted how 30-something U.S. princeling Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, may have been involved in MBS’s … Read more
Many of Donald Trump’s core supporters are not particularly keen on Saudi Arabia, and for very good reasons. Candidate Trump exploited this sentiment on the campaign trail, often tweeting in populist terms when it came to the barbaric absolute monarchy. As is too often the case, Donald Trump the President has taken a completely different … Read more
Elements of the charm offensive include the launch of a pro-Saudi Arabia media portal operated by high-profile Republican campaign consultants; a special English-language website devoted to putting a positive spin on the latest developments in the Yemen war; glitzy dinners with American political and business elites; and a non-stop push to sway reporters and policymakers. … Read more
I’ve stopped calling what our government has done a cover-up. Cover-up suggests a passive activity. What they’re doing now I call aggressive deception. – Former Senator Bob Graham, co-chair of Congress’s 9/11 Joint Inquiry With the recent arrival of our new baby daughter, free time for reading has been in extremely short supply as of late. … Read more