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  • Germany, U.S. Lead Approval Ratings in Asia

    Ahead of President Joe Biden's special summit with Southeast Asian leaders next month, the image of U.S. leadership is in a much stronger position than it has been in years, not only in Southeast Asia but across most of the continent. Gallup surveys show median approval of U.S. leadership across Asia shot from 31% in 2020 to 41% in 2021, and the U.S. now essentially ties Germany for the most-positively viewed leadership in the region.

  • Saudi Arabia Denies Reports Relations With U.S. Are Strained

    The relationship “is historic and remains strong,” the Saudi embassy in Washington said in a statement on Thursday. “There is daily contact between officials on an institutional level and there is close coordination on issues” such as security, investments and energy.

  • U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East: Part Seven

    What should the U.S. posture in the Middle East look like going forward? While there is a broad consensus that the last two decades produced few successes, there is less agreement on exactly what the United States should do to produce more successes or if success is even the right metric for U.S. efforts. How should the United States engage with partners in the Middle East, and how should it engage with adversaries? How does the Middle East fit into U.S. global strategy, especially one with an increased focus on Asia?

  • How U.S.-Saudi Relations Reached the Breaking Point

    U.S. officials, including White House Middle East coordinator Brett McGurk, have visited the kingdom repeatedly to try to heal the breach, with an eye to addressing Saudi concerns about security threats from Iran and the Houthi rebels Iran backs in Yemen. Yet with Mr. Biden opposed to any broad concessions to the Saudis, the officials acknowledge making only modest progress.

  • Explosive charges used in recent attack on U.S. troops in Syria- Pentagon

    A recent attack on U.S. forces in Syria was the result of explosives being placed at a facility hosting troops in eastern Syria and not rocket fire, the Pentagon said on Monday. Earlier this month, the U.S.-led coalition said four U.S. personnel suffered minor injuries after "indirect fire" on a base in Syria known as the Green Village.

  • Mapping U.S. Wind Energy Generation by State

    America’s wind energy generating states are all primarily located in the Central and Midwest regions of the nation, where wind speeds are highest and most consistent. Texas is the runaway leader in wind, generating over 92 Terawatt-hours of electricity during a year, more than the next three top states (Iowa, Oklahoma, and Kansas) combined. While Texas is the top generator in terms of wind-powered electricity, wind only makes up 20% of the state’s total electricity generation.

  • Israel hopes U.S. will mend ties with Saudi Arabia, ambassador says

    "Saudi Arabia is a hugely important actor in our part of the world and in the Islamic world as a whole," Herzog said. "Strategically speaking, and I'm not ignoring all the difficulties, I think that is very important for our region" that relations improve.

  • U.S. East Coast Jet Fuel Supplies Sink Even as Refiners Ramp Up

    Jet fuel supplies on the U.S. East Coast have never been lower, despite producers boosting output amid rising demand. Inventories for the region are at a historic low in government data going back to 1990. Nationally, stockpiles are at their lowest on a seasonal basis since 2004. Meanwhile, implied jet fuel demand based on a four-week average rose to within 7% of 2019 levels last week as more Americans return to air travel.

  • Support for Saudi Arabia ‘Counter’ to U.S. Interests, House Democrats Say

    The letter was signed by 30 members of Congress, all Democrats, led by Rep. Gregory Meeks (D., N.Y.), the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Rep. Adam Schiff (D., Calif.), the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee; Rep. Jim McGovern (D., Mass.), chairman of the House Rules Committee; and Rep. Gerry Connolly (D., Va.).

  • U.S. in the Middle East: Part Six

    The first item on the agenda should be recognition that the UAE of today is vastly different from the UAE of yesterday. You're no longer talking to a junior partner. The UAE today is a middle power with a vast network of friends globally, with influence all over, and with investments in the United States that exceed $300 billion. We are a third U.S. trade partner. We have really been investing in this relationship so much.