MUST-READS

• Mohammed Bin Nayef
  Background: Interior Minister Prince Mohammed in Washington

  Saudi Arabia’s Interior Minister, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, arrives in Washington this week for consultations with top-level national security officials and coordination on critical defense and security challenges around the Arabian Peninsula.

• Saudi Football
  Saudi Arabia sacks coach ahead of Asian Cup

  The Spaniard, 51, led his side to the Gulf Cup final in November, but it suffered a 2-1 loss to Qatar in the decider. A board meeting led to the contracts of Lopez Caro and his assistants being terminated, the Saudi Arabia Football Federation stated on its website. It leaves Saudi Arabia searching for a coach ahead of the Asian Cup starting on 9 January, 2015.

• Journalist Detained
  Iran charges Washington Post reporter

  Jason Rezaian, the newspaper’s bureau chief in Tehran since 2012, appeared in court almost five months after he was arrested July 22. The charges were the first against him since the arrest, the Post said. He is an Iranian-American who holds dual citizenship. The newspaper, quoting a source familiar with the case, said the nature of the charges against him were not immediately clear to those not present in the courtroom.

• U.S. Public Opinion
  Linking Iran and ISIS: How American Public Opinion Shapes the Obama Administration’s Approach to the Nuclear Talks

  The starting point is not about Iran as such; it’s all about shifting public priorities. In a poll I conducted November 14-19, 2014 among a nationally representative sample of 1008 Americans, it turns out that American public fear of Iran is dwarfed by the fear of ISIS. Overall, 70 percent of Americans polled identify ISIS as the biggest threat facing the United States in the Middle East, 13 percent identify violence in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and 12 percent identify Iranian behavior.

• Education
  Saudi Builder Khodari Gets $360m University Housing Contract

  Saudi Arabian construction firm Abdullah Abdul Mohsin al-Khodari and Sons has won a SAR1.35 billion ($359.7 million) contract from the government for construction of staff housing at King Khaled University, it said in a statement on Thursday.

• U.S.-Afghanistan
  Three-star: Afghan army getting better, needs to ‘keep upping the game’

  "With all my time in Iraq, I would rank the Afghan army as a tougher, better fighting organization than what I dealt with in Iraq," he said. "They've got to keep working on institutionalizing, professionalizing, and keep upping the game." Four key areas for the Afghans to focus on are logistics, intelligence, aviation and special operations integration, Anderson said.

• U.S. Syria Strategy
  U.S. options in Syria shrivel as Islamists, Assad gain

  The fortunes of potential U.S. allies among Syrian rebel groups are ebbing fast as hardline Salafist groups and especially al Qaeda's affiliate go on the offensive. The past month has dealt further reverses to already-beleaguered moderate groups, whose presence in the critical northern provinces of Idlib and Aleppo has further eroded.

  • Al-Monitor - Who is paying for America's plan to train and equip Syrian rebels?
  • Small Wars Journal - The Islamic State is a Hybrid Threat: Why Does That Matter?
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• Yemen in Crisis
  An American Hostage in an Unraveling Yemen

  The Houthis, who comprise 30 percent of Yemen's population, present an entirely separate problem from the al-Qaeda insurgency. On Thursday, Reuters reported that Saudi Arabia had suspended most of its financial aid to Yemen as an ineffectual power-sharing deal with the Houthis has raised alarms with the Saudis. The United States, which also seeks to check Iran's influence in the region, can't be happy either.

  • Washington Post - Americans Still Largely Against Paying Ransoms
  • Washington Post - The problem with the U.S. policy of no ransoms? Hostage rescues are very, very difficult.
• ISIS Funding
  Islamic State: The Business of the Caliph

  The "Islamic State" terrorist group wants to present itself as a state but is little more than a mafia regime. It may be rich but the "caliphate" is in a state of crisis, as an investigation in seven countries shows.

  • CSM - How to topple Islamic State? 3 strengths that can be turned to weaknesses.
  • BBC News - Islamic State setting up Libya training camps, US says
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