[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
End of mission statement Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights Professor Philip Alston reports on his visit to Saudi Arabia.
Somali refugees fleeing conflict in Yemen arrive in Mogadishu The deteriorating security situation in Yemen forced many to flee Sanaa for other cities before returning to Somalia.
Suspected U.S. drones hit al Qaeda targets in Yemen: residents US drones targeted Al-Qa‘ida sites over the course of several days.
Black gold to sunshine: Ex-Saudi oil minister goes solar“Naimi—previously one of the most powerful figures in the OPEC oil cartel—was replaced as oil minister in May 2016.”
Saudi Arabia pledges international market integration amid Aramco mania Saudi Arabia “aspires to become the Middle East's de-facto capital market and one of the world's largest.”
Trump’s Use of Navy SEAL’s Wife Highlights All the Key Ingredients of U.S. War Propaganda“The raid in Yemen that cost Owens his life also killed 30 other people, including ‘many civilians,’ at least nine of whom were children. None of them were mentioned by Trump in last night’s speech.”
U.S. wages second day of strikes on al Qaeda in Yemen“The U.S. military started returning to Yemen in small numbers last year to support a successful April push orchestrated by the United Arab Emirates”.
Bahraini Officer Involved in Murder of Activists & Torture of Hundreds Others Announced Dead He supervised the torture of political prisoners until their deaths, which included the martyrs Nouh Al Nouh and Saeed Al-Iskafi.
The other side of Trump’s travel ban A surgeon in Yemen decided to get his family out of the country and when their plane landed in DC, they were ordered to get back on a plane.
US troops raid Yemen villages in hunt for al-Qaeda leader“Residents said some of the strikes hit civilian homes and a number of civilians were among the wounded.”
MIDEAST DEBT-Oman gains breathing space with jumbo $5 billion bond sale“Oman's government has given itself breathing space from the pressure of financing a large budget deficit by selling $5 billion of international bonds, almost completing its entire foreign borrowing plan for 2017 in a single issue.”
Reports and Opinions
United States Ramps Up Airstrikes Against Al Qaeda in Yemen US Special Operations Forces have engaged in more airstrikes and ground assaults in Yemen.
What Yemen Can Teach America About Hospitality“In Yemen, I was welcomed to share meals and take tea with total strangers. But America is different: We do not welcome strangers as honored guests. We barely welcome them at all.”
Christopher Davidson Discusses in Interview Role of the West in the Middle East Davidson discusses the West's counter-revolutionary activities in the region.
Family of Hamed Al-Abed Injured on Boat Nearly Month Ago Says: We Know Nothing About him“The family indicated that Hamed was the only one among detainees who did not call his family and that they only know that he sustained a serious injury.”
Dozens Gather outside Grievances Building in Protest of “Jaw” Conditions, Haj Somoud Arrested Detainees in Jaw have complained about the deteriorating situation in the prison since the authorities implemented the death sentence against Abbas Al-Samie, Ali Al-Singace, and Sami Mushaima.
Bahrain Budget Delayed for 4 Months amid Parliamentary Silence“The estimated size of budget deficit is about two billion Bahraini Dinars for each fiscal year; i.e. 4 billion Bahraini Dinars in 2 fiscal years.”
As Saudis prepare to sell shares in oil giant, some have misgivings“‘Some Saudi citizens seem to fear they won't benefit, that there is nothing in it for them.’”
Saudi king visits Indonesia with 'cars and entourage' “There will be 620 people coming as part of his entourage as well as 800 delegates, including 10 ministers and 25 princes.”
Crisis in Yemen
Yemen: Huthi forces recruiting child soldiers for front-line combat“New evidence has emerged of how the Huthi armed group is actively recruiting boys as young as 15.”
Trump passes blame for Yemen raid to his generals: ‘They lost Ryan’ Trump claimed the mission “was started before I got here.”
Yemen conflict: Red Cross appeals for access to key port ICRC halted deliveries to the Red Sea port of Hodeidah after being targeted by warplanes from the Saudi-led coalition.
Russian intrigue: UN Yemen envoy visits Moscow for talks“Among the conclusions made by Russian and the UN officials was that the exiled government and rebels should re-establish dialogue and work towards a political solution.”
Yemen president in Riyadh for talks on reconstruction, military effort Hadi claimed that Saudi Arabia has allocated ten billion dollars in aid, including two billion dollars as a deposit in the central bank.
We stand with the Yemeni people SocialistWorker.org issued a solidarity statement with Yemen.
UN delivers medicine to Yemen's besieged Taiz city Over 350,000 people are in need of medical aid in Taiz.
Ark of endangered species on the brink in Yemen The situation in Taiz Zoo has deteriorated since the war on Yemen started in 2015.
Horror and uncertainty are part of life in Yemen. We must act to prevent famine“I witnessed grandmothers in their 80s and even their 90s going out in search of food for their grandchildren.”
Yemen's war: 'No one knows when he is going to die' A photo essay of the war and humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
Revolutionary Committee rejects US military intervention in Yemen"The Supreme Revolutionary Committee on Monday strongly rejected US direct military intervention in Yemen's soil, internal affairs and violation of national sovereignty.”
Yemen: UN migration agency reports displacement spike in Taiz Governorate“So far, at least 25,000 individuals have been reported as displaced from Al Mokha, according to IOM.”
Human Rights
Bahrain: Human rights defender Nabeel Rajab Rajab remains in jail, facing a potential eighteen-year sentence for two of his ongoing cases.
Human Rights in the Aftermath of Arab Spring - the Kingdom of Bahrain The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights is holding the event "Human Rights in the Aftermath of Arab Spring - the Kingdom of Bahrain" in collaboration with the Copenhagen Public Library.
Shura Council Approves Constitutional Amendment Granting Military Courts Wider Authorities Military courts in Bahrain have gained wider jurisdiction.
GCC Cases Raised in the HRC 34 Special Procedures Joint Communications Report Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain has released a summary of the UNHRC Joint Communications Report inclusive of all incidents related to the Arabian Peninsula.
“Our ray of light” – my husband, a jailed activist in Saudi Arabia One of Saudi Arabia’s few independent human rights organizers is serving a ten-year prison sentence for his peaceful activism.
Saudi Arabia: Further Information: Human Rights Defender’s Prison Sentence Upheld: Issa Al-Hamid The Specialized Criminal Court in Riyadh has upheld Saudi Arabian human rights defender Issa al-Hamid’s eleven-year prison sentence.
Saudi Arabia: Sudanese Political Activist Held Incommunicado: Alaa Aldin Daffalla Al-Difana Concern has been raised that he is at risk of torture and other ill-treatment.
Big Brother’s Book Festival“UAE Event Kicks Off Amid Unrelenting Crackdown on Critics.