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Behind the jokes, however, is the deadly serious responsibility of the CIA and Defense Department to vet Syrians before they receive covert American training, aid and arms. But according to U.S. counterterrorism veterans, a system that worked pretty well during four decades of the Cold War has been no match for the linguistic, cultural, tribal and political complexities of the Middle East, especially now in Syria. “We’re completely out of our league,” one former CIA vetting expert declared on condition of anonymity, reflecting the consensus of intelligence professionals with firsthand knowledge of the Syrian situation. “To be really honest, very few people know how to vet well. It’s a very specialized skill. It’s extremely difficult to do well” in the best of circumstances, the former operative said. And in Syria it has proved impossible.
Saudi Arabia’s capital market regulator will introduce rules for credit rating agencies next September, part of reforms aimed at modernising the financial sector of the world’s top oil exporter.
Gains by the Shi'ite Houthi rebel movement in Yemen are ringing alarm bells in Saudi Arabia, concerned for what it means for its vulnerable southern border, already the conduit for a constant flow of illicit activity.
In late October, a group of 106 retired Israeli generals, former Mossad and Shin Bet chiefs issued an open letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling for a resumption of the peace talks with the Palestinians, based on the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative of then-Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Abdullah, now the King of Saudi Arabia. That Arab Peace Initiative was subsequently endorsed by the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).
Iraqi President Fouad Masoum will visit Riyadh on Tuesday, Saudi state media reported, raising hopes of a tentative thaw in long-chilly relations between the Arab neighbours. Real power in Iraq resides with the country's Shi'ite-led government and prime minister, but the first presidential visit to Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia since 2010 opens the door to a possible rapprochement, political analysts say.
GCC members prefer to deal bilaterally with the United States but when strong common interests exist and the stakes are high, GCC countries are willing to work together.
The current Democratic Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, blocked a bipartisan bill earlier this year that would have imposed even more stringent sanctions on Iran than are currently in effect. Now under Republican control, the Senate is likely to revive the bill. Even if it is vetoed by the US president, the newly emboldened Congress could signal to Iran that Mr Obama cannot uphold the US side of any agreement.
A veteran State Department diplomat and longtime Pakistan expert is under federal investigation as part of a counterintelligence probe and has had her security clearances withdrawn, according to U.S. officials.
Amal Clooney has called on the Egyptian government to release her client Mohamed Fahmy on medical grounds, after she disclosed that the jailed al-Jazeera journalist is suffering from Hepatitis C.
Entrepreneurs that have the ambition to grow their company often reference limited funding as a barrier to achieving their goals. Whether just starting out, launching a new product or expanding into a new country, access to capital is a critical resource that is not always easy to obtain. The investment ecosystem for startups in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is no exception, yet in recent years funding access in the region has improved.
