By Andrew Hammond DUBAI | Thu May 17, 2012 11:46am EDT (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s thrust for a Gulf Union, driven by fear of Arab Spring contagion and spreading Iranian influence, has stumbled on misgivings among smaller neighbors about a loss of […]
By Andrew Hammond DUBAI | Mon Apr 30, 2012 4:16am BST (Reuters) – Wary of Iran and regional protest movements, Gulf Arab states are pushing ahead with plans for a political union that would involve joint foreign and defense policies, the Saudi […]
By Andrew Hammond MANAMA | Sun Nov 27, 2011 10:58am EST (Reuters) – Bahrain has announced a commission to steer reforms after an inquiry found systematic rights abuse during a government crackdown on pro-democracy protests this year, but opposition parties said they […]
By Andrew Hammond DUBAI | Fri Nov 25, 2011 3:30pm EST (Reuters) – A report that slammed Bahrain for using systematic torture to crush pro-democracy protests has put pressure on the U.S.-allied Gulf Arab state to take some steps toward political reform […]
By Andrew Hammond MANAMA | Wed Nov 23, 2011 6:07pm EST (Reuters) – Bahrain’s security forces used excessive force to suppress pro-democracy protests earlier this year, torturing detainees to get confessions, an inquiry panel charged with investigating abuses said on Wednesday. The […]
By Andrew Hammond DUBAI | Mon Nov 21, 2011 6:32pm GMT (Reuters) – Bahrain admitted Monday its forces had used excessive force and mistreated detainees during pro-democracy protests, as it awaited the release of an independent report expected to criticise the Gulf […]
So, the currently in vogue phrase is “Gulf monarchies”, and although some of their leaders are emir, one is sultan, a few are sheikh, and only two are “king”, I guess it works as a way of grouping the dynasties together. They […]
By Andrew Hammond DUBAI | Wed Jul 13, 2011 7:13am BST (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia has helped damp down democracy movements sweeping the Arab world but is waiting now to see how events play out in places like Syria and Yemen for […]
In a room overlooking the waters of the Gulf in Manama, the leader of Bahrain’s largest opposition party ponders a troubling question: Did he throw away a chance for the first real democracy in the Gulf Arab region? Over two months after […]
The Big Speech was rather a non-event from the perspective of most people in the region, I reckon. Obama and his administration were behind the curve when the uprisings broke out. The uprisings were troubling for them because 1. (like the Iranian Revolution in 1979) […]