[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on the Arabian Peninsula and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Arabian Peninsula Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each week's roundup to ap@jadaliyya.com by Monday night of every week.]
Regional and International Relations
Oman: No Gulf-wide union for us Dahlia Kholaif writes on the fate of the Saudi proposal of a union including the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council states following the Omani rejection of the idea.
Gulf widens as Iran returns from cold Ian Black examines the failure of Saudi Arabia to push for its union proposal during the Gulf Cooperation Council summit held in Kuwait last week.
Bahrain looking forward to Gulf Union – King Habib Toumi reports on the Bahraini king’s enthusiastic support of a union between the six Gulf states.
A summary of the 34th GCC summit communiqué The communiqué issued by the Gulf Cooperation Council at the end of the summit held in Kuwait, which focuses on relations with Iran, economic integration, Egypt, Syria, and Palestine.
Saudi Arabia and Iran must end their proxy war in Syria Fawaz Gerges argues that peace talks on Syria will not succeed without reaching a compromise between the two Gulf states.
Gulf Arab leaders urge Iran to prove its goodwill Rania El Gamal maintains that the language used by the Gulf Cooperation Council towards Iran during the summit held in Kuwait has softened from last year.
Qatari-funded fuel enters Gaza to ease power crisis Nidal al-Mughrabi reports on the arrival of fuel, paid for by Qatar, in Gaza.
Reports and Opinions
Relief aids Gulf nations’ soft power push Ismael Naar argues that the Gulf states have been boosting their political profile through foreign aid.
Saudi activist ‘sentenced to lashes and jail’ Omar al-Saeed, a member of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Associations, is sentenced for prison and lashes for calling for a constitutional monarchy and speaking about human rights violations.
Two Guantanamo prisoners transferred to Saudi Arabia A news report on the transfer of Saad Muhammed Qahtani and Hamood Abdulla Hamood to Saudi custody.
Saudi religious leader condemns suicide attacks The Saudi grand mufti condemns suicide bombings as grave crimes and sins.
Gulf chill over UK fighter sales Richard Norton-Taylor and Nick Hopkins examine the British prime minister’s efforts to convince Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates to buy British Typhoon jets.
Crisis in Yemen
Yemen wedding hit by deadly air strike At least thirteen people were killed by an air strike suspected to be carried out by a US drone.
Death toll from US strike on Yemeni wedding reaches 17 An update on the death toll of the air strike on a wedding convoy.
Yemenis demand US apologize for deadly wedding strike The relatives of Yemeni civilians killed in a drone strike demand an apology and compensation.
Yemen TV airs cold-blooded Al Qaida assault Yemen TV broadcasts horrific footage of the attack on the Ministry of Defense hospital last week.
Yemen says air strike targeted al Qaeda leaders A Yemeni official asserts that the wedding procession targeted last Thursday was mistaken for al-Qaeda convoy.
Drone strikes must end, Yemen’s parliament says Hakim Almasmari reports on the Yemeni parliament’s vote against US drone strikes, following t fatal strike on a wedding convoy last week.
Insight: In Yemen, al Qaeda gains sympathy amid U.S. drone strikes Yara Bayoumy reflects on the sympathy with al-Qaeda in Yemen due to the US drone strikes, which claimed the lives of many civilians in the country.
Japanese diplomat stabbed in Yemen kidnap bid: source The second secretary at the Japanese embassy in Sanaa suffers several wounds during a kidnap attempt.
Migrant Workers
Qatar to publish report into claims of abuse of World Cup migrant workers Martin Chulov writes on the report investigating claims of abuse of migrant workers to be published by Qatar in the next few weeks.
Saudi Arabia migrant expulsions: ‘They beat us. I want to warn others not to go’ Elissa Jobson reports on the treatment of Ethiopian workers in the kingdom.
Media
Charity sets up Yemeni training centre for journalists Roy Greenslade blogs on the MBI Al Jaber Media Institute, established by a Saudi businessman Mohamed Al Jaber in Sanaa, to train journalists.
Al Jazeera denies report its Cairo office was raided The Qatari channel denies a report that claimed one of its closed offices in Cairo was raided and that eleven Qatari citizens were arrested.
Human Rights
Kuwait: Court Deals Blow to Free Speech Human Rights Watch deplores the Kuwaiti Constitutional Court’s rejection of a challenge of an article in the penal code for its conflict with free speech guarantees in the constitution.
Bahrain – Imprisoned human rights defender Zainab Al-Khawaja harassed while receiving medical care The Gulf Center for Human Rights expresses its concern over the activist’s health and ill-treatment while in detention.