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May/June 2009
Foreign Affairs Article — Summary
The exchange of oil for security no longer defines the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States.
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February 2, 2009
Must Read
Rehab didn't work for al-Qaeda's deputy in Yemen. Can it work for any terrorist?
See more in Terrorism
December 11, 2008
Backgrounder
U.S. experts say any new approach to bringing stability to Afghanistan must be regional in scope. Saudi Arabia, with historic ties to the Taliban and Afghan Pashtuns, could hold a principle seat at the table.
See more in Afghanistan
October 22, 2008
Interview
F. Gregory Gause III, a leading expert on Iraq and Saudi Arabia, says a lack of leadership among Iraq's Shiite politicians is holding up approval of a U.S.-Iraqi security pact. He also talks about new Saudi efforts to engage the Taliban in a peace parley.
See more in Iraq, Nation Building, Diplomacy
June 4, 2008
Interview
Youssef Ibrahim, a risk consultant and the former Middle East correspondent for the New York Times, discusses the flood of money lining Persian Gulf coffers.
See more in Gulf States, Qatar, Middle East, Economics, Society and Culture
June 4, 2008
Daily Analysis
Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf states seek to diversify their economies beyond oil, but the project comes laden with risk.
See more in Middle East, Gulf States, Economics, Business & Foreign Policy, Emerging Markets
Updated: May 16, 2008
Daily Analysis
Meetings between President Bush and Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah highlight emerging policy challenges to a relationship that stretches well beyond oil.
See more in United States, U.S. Strategy and Politics
December 10, 2007
Article
Weekly Standard
Max Boot and Lee Wolosky write that “traveling to the Middle East can be a disconcerting experience. One day you feel as if you're journeying into the future, the next day into the past.”
See more in Middle East, Business & Foreign Policy, Emerging Markets
October 27, 2007
Essential Documents
Speech
See more in Israel, Palestinian Authority, Diplomacy
September 14, 2007
Must Read
This CRS report for Congress reviews allegations of Saudi involvement in terrorist financing together with Saudi rebuttals, discusses the question of Saudi support for Palestinian organizations and religious charities and schools abroad, discusses recent steps taken by Saudi Arabia to counter terrorist financing (many in conjunction with the United States), and suggests some implications of recent Saudi actions for the war on terrorism.
See more in United States, Terrorism, Terrorist Financing
“From the perspective of both countries, the status quo is clearly unsustainable,” argues Rachel Bronson in Thicker Than Oil, the first full history of the U.S.-Saudi relationship.
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Presidency (7/6): Peter Beinart discusses Franklin D. Roosevelt's foreign policy legacy in Time Magazine.
United States (7/6): Amity Shlaes considers Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Great Depression, in Time Magazine.
Afghanistan (6/30): Micah Zenko argues that collateral damage in Afghanistan is unavoidable, in Guardian UK.
Israel (6/25): Elliot Abrams argues that “Hillary is wrong about the Israeli settlements,” in the Wall Street Journal.
Trade (6/23): Amity Shlaes considers the elimination of the job of U.S trade representative, on Bloomberg.com.
Global Health (6/19): Laurie Garrett and Kammerle Schneider assess the use of antibiotics in feed animals, and the rise of antibiotic resistant pathogens, for the Center for Global Development.
U.S. Strategy and Politics (6/22): Leslie Gelb argues that President Obama is right to keep his distance--this is what Iranians want, and they have smart, sophisticated reasons for it, on the Daily Beast.
North Korea (6/22): Scott Snyder analyzes North Korea’s approach to “getting what it wants from the United States,” on GlobalSecurity.org.
The Canadian oil sands present an important challenge to policymakers: they promise energy security benefits but present climate change problems. Michael A. Levi assesses the energy security and climate change effects of the oil sands and makes recommendations for U.S. policymakers within the context of broader bilateral relations with Canada.
This report explores an important element of the maritime policy regime: the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Author Scott G. Borgerson examines the international negotiations that led to the convention, the history of debates in the United States over whether to join it, and the strategic importance of the oceans for U.S. foreign policy today.
Complete list of Council Special Reports
In War of Necessity, War of Choice, Richard N. Haass contrasts the decisions that shaped the conduct of two wars between the United States and Iraq involving the two presidents Bush and Saddam Hussein, and writes an authoritative, personal account of how U.S. foreign policy is made, what it should seek, and how it should be pursued.
In Cuba: What Everyone Needs to Know, Julia E. Sweig presents a remarkably accessible portrait of Cuba’s unique place on the world stage over the past fifty years, including its internal politics, its often fraught relationship with the United States, and its shifting relationship with the global community.
As Ray Takeyh shows in Guardians of the Revolution, behind the famous personalities and extremist slogans of Iran is a nation that is far more pragmatic—and complex—than many in the West have been led to believe.
Complete list of CFR Books
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International Affairs Fellow in Residence
Adjunct Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies
Henry A. Kissinger Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy
Adjunct Senior Fellow for Military Affairs and Director of the Military Fellows Program
Adjunct Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies
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