Abu Dhabi Looks to Separate from Riyadh’s Disastrous Policies
Bottom Line Up Front While the UAE is a close ally of Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi is now seeking to distance itself from Riyadh […] More
Yemen
Houthi Rebels Step Up Attacks Against Saudi Arabia
Bottom Line Up Front Since April, Houthi rebels have conducted at least ten separate missile or drone strikes on Saudi targets, including airports, oil […] More
Supporting a Deadly Quagmire in Yemen
Bottom Line Up Front As U.S-supported Saudi air strikes continue to kill Yemeni civilians, a bill to end that support remains stuck in the Senate. […] More
The Consequences of Collapse in Yemen
Bottom Line Up Front President Trump’s veto of attempted Congressional limits on U.S. involvement in the war in Yemen increases the likelihood of a […] More
Ending Support for the War in Yemen
Bottom Line Up Front On February 13, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 248-177 to require the administration to end support for Saudi Arabia’s […] More
Civilian Casualties and the Struggle for Transparency
Bottom Line Up Front A partially declassified study of U.S. military operations demonstrates the difficulty in accurately counting and mitigating civilian casualties. Disparities exist […] More
The Growing Threat of Iranian Missiles
Bottom Line Up Front Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities enable it to project power while compensating for an otherwise modest conventional military capacity. Iran’s supply […] More
The Yemen Policy Debate Heats Up
Bottom Line Up Front The October killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has shifted U.S. congressional opinion sharply against Saudi Arabia’s de-facto leader, Crown […] More
War Before Peace: The Struggle to Control Hodeida
Bottom Line Up Front On November 11, reports indicate that at least 149 Yemenis were killed in fighting for the port city of Hodeida. […] More
The U.S. Makes Noise but No Action Over Yemen
Bottom Line Up Front Last week, both U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense James Mattis declared the need for a […] More
MbS: The New Saddam of Arabia?
As Mohammad bin Salman (MbS) has terrorized his opponents at home and abroad, fear has spread within the Saudi kingdom. Has he become the new […] More
U.S. Interests in Yemen Come with Tough Choices
The recent distrust between the United States and Saudi Arabia has raised questions about the crisis in Yemen. The U.S. supports Saudi forces by providing […] More
Mattis’ Yemen Plan to Replace Combat with Compromise
U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis made a number of important comments Tuesday during an interview at the U.S. Institute of Peace. Speaking to former […] More
War Crimes in Yemen
The war in Yemen has been for some time one of the worst current man-made humanitarian disasters. Now, comes a report, from the United Nations Human […] More
Where Al Qaeda and Affiliates Stand Today: A Conversation with David Shedd
While not in the headlines every day, al Qaeda operatives are still the targets of somewhat regular military operations in places like Yemen. The U.S. […] More
What Awaits Yemen After Hodeida?
In the second part of a Cipher Brief two-part series on the significant implications of the battle for Hodeida, Cipher Brief Expert Norm Roule, who […] More
The Future of Hodeida – Once a Hotbed of Global Espionage – Hangs in the Balance
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned Monday that military action in Yemen will fail. The warning comes as a Saudi-led coalition targeted Houthi rebels aligned with […] More
The Broader Implications of What’s Happening in Yemen
Pro-government forces backed by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, have launched an assault on rebels holding Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah. Potential humanitarian casualties are […] More