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  • Opposition to JASTA ‘Bubbles’ but Override Still Likely after White House Veto on Friday
     

    President Obama vetoed the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) on Friday, setting up an expected showdown with Congress over the controversial bill that would open up foreign nations to lawsuits in the United States. In a thoughtful letter to Congress attached to the veto, President Obama says that while he has deep sympathy […]

     
  • Event Alert: King of Bahrain, Secretary Kissinger, Gen. David Petraeus Headline C3 Business Summit in New York
     

    Scheduled to take place on the heels of the 71st U.N. General Assembly in New York on September 26 and September 27, the 2016 C3 Business and Healthcare Summit has announced the confirmed participation of His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa and The Honorable Dr. Henry Kissinger. This edition of the well-established C3 Summit series will examine ISIS, Brexit, the growing concerns […]

     
  • Senate Votes Down Proposal to Block U.S. Arms Sale to Saudi Arabia
     

    The Senate on Wednesday rejected a bipartisan proposal to block a pending $1.15 billion United States arms sale to Saudi Arabia by a vote of 71-27. The Senate action comes as Congress is considering whether to override an expected presidential veto of the so-called JASTA bill, allowing 9/11 victims’ families to sue the Saudi government. The proposed […]

     
  • White House Lobbies Senate on JASTA, Works Toward 34 Votes to Prevent Veto Override
     

    Some Senate Democrats on Capitol Hill continue to consider their votes on the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) and, according to some reports, are “starting to show cracks in their support” of the legislation after efforts by the Obama administration to convey the risk of the bill’s potential international relations fallout.  JASTA, which would expand […]

     
  • Houthi Rebels Claim Capture of Post Inside Saudi Border
     

    Officials from Yemen’s Shiite Houthi militia say their fighters and allied troops have captured a Saudi military post in the border region of Jazan, according to reports.  According to a report in the Associated Press, the claim has been denied by a Saudi military spokesman. However, a 15-minute video clip posted on social media networks and aired late […]

     
  • Security Tight as Millions Perform Hajj in Saudi Arabia; Eid al-Adha Begins Today
     

    Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in added safety and security measures as the Kingdom hosts this year’s estimated 1.85 million Hajj pilgrims.  Photos from the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) show Saudi civil defense forces and medical personnel on standby ready to ensure a safe and peaceful Hajj. Temperatures throughout the week topped 100°F (28°C), making […]

     
  • Hajj 2016 Begins: Millions Gather in Saudi Arabia
     

    An estimated two million pilgrims have converged in Saudi Arabia for the start of the annual Hajj pilgrimage today, lasting until Wednesday, September 13th. The hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, which capable Muslims must perform at least once, marking the spiritual peak of their lives. Worshippers from more than 150 countries will embark on […]

     
  • U.S. House to Allow Vote on Controversial JASTA Bill This Week
     

    The U.S.  House of Representatives will vote this week on a bill allowing the families of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia in U.S. courts, a Republican leadership source told Politico Wednesday. The highly-politicized Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) bill, which President Obama said would receive his veto should it make it to […]

     
  • John Kerry to Visit Saudi Arabia
     

    U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, will travel to Kenya, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia next week as part of a tour that is expected to focus on counter terrorism.  Secretary Kerry is expected to be in Jeddah on Wednesday, August 24th. AFP reports that Secretary Kerry will meet with his counterparts from the six-nation Gulf […]

     
  • As Civilian Casualties Grow in Yemen, Capitol Hill Questions U.S.-Saudi Arms Deals
     

    As casualties mount in the Saudi-led war in Yemen to reinstate the legitimate U.N.-recognized Hadi government, some U.S. lawmakers are considering whether to block the sale of additional arms to Saudi Arabia. It is not known if the potential block has significant backing on Capitol Hill, and criticism of past arms sales to Saudi Arabia […]

     

MUST-READS

  • Security enterprise marks 25th anniversary of Riyadh bombing

    The bombing was the first recorded act of terrorism on Americans by al-Qaeda. The bomb took the face off the three-story headquarters building, once a vibrant center of activity in downtown Riyadh, with hundreds of employees.

  • State Department approves $350M deal for security services to Saudi Arabia

    "This proposed sale will continue to improve Saudi Arabia's capability to meet current and future threats by utilizing USMTM's continued efforts to train, advise, and assist the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces to build defense capacity and capability through military exercises and professional military education. USMTM conducts non-combat, institutional advising that assists the MOD in developing, training, and sustaining a capable deterrent to regional threats," the DSCA said.

  • Online mask ads mystery revealed as Saudi banks launch cybersecurity campaign

    Saudi cybersecurity specialist, Abdullah Al-Jaber, told Arab News that the initiative could not have come at a better time, and he was pleased to see so many big-name banks throwing their weight behind it. “It’s awesome that they tried to approach the public in a different way, rather than the usual text messages or emails that many people tend to ignore,” he said.

  • Biden Team Highlights Cybersecurity With First Cabinet Picks

    Mayorkas, Haines, Sullivan and Blinken will serve in roles crucial to cybersecurity policy and have all worked in the Obama administration, which pioneered enduring cybersecurity approaches centered on the development of public-private and international partnerships.

  • Redefining Gulf Security Begins by Including the Human Dimension

    Human security is defined by the United Nations  as an approach to identify and address “widespread and cross-cutting challenges to the survival, livelihood and dignity” of people.3 As the events of 2020 have made apparent, some of the main risks weighing on populations and threatening human security pertain to health concerns, access to food and water, and the natural disasters amplified by climate change.

  • Israel and Palestinians Resume Security Agreement

    In May, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel pressed to annex territory on the occupied West Bank that the Palestinians have long counted on for a future state, Mahmoud Abbas, the authority’s president, cut off security coordination with Israel in protest. The move raised fears that attacks might go unprevented.

  • Trump national security adviser calls lifting blockade on Qatar ‘priority’ in next 70 days

    “This is really kind of a family dispute. And like family disputes, sometimes those are the hardest to solve. But we'd like to get all these cousins back together at the Thanksgiving table, so to speak. And it's something we're working on, and we're going to keep working on it. As long as the president's in office, it’s something that'll be a priority,” O’Brien said.

  • Where President-elect Joe Biden stands on national security issues

    Biden, who was elected to the Senate exactly 48 years ago to the day he was named winner of the presidential election, is no stranger to international leadership and has a long track record on international relations and national security issues. Here are a few of his selected positions and how they differ from Trump.

  • Senior Study Group on Peace and Security in the Red Sea Arena

    The Horn of Africa is now an integral part of and in fact the link among the security systems of the Middle East, the Indo-Pacific, and the Mediterranean by virtue of the strategic importance of and competition for influence over the Red Sea and the states that border and depend on it for trade and transit. As a result, developments in the Horn not only are shaped by these regions but also have a direct impact on their political, economic, and security environments.

  • Administration Files “Report on the Legal and Policy Frameworks Guiding the United States’ Use of Military Force and Related National Security Operations”

    Under 50 U.S.C. § 1549, the president was supposed to provide both Congress and the public with a report on the legal and policy frameworks for the use of military force. The report was due on March 1. But Trump never filed the report. He didn’t argue that the reporting requirement was unconstitutional or provide any reason for his non-compliance. He just ignored it.