May 25, 2017
Trump seeks greater collaboration with Saudi Arabia, but will this boost counterterrorism?
On Sunday in Saudi Arabia, President Trump announced an agreement to sell his hosts at least $110 billion worth of weapons and expressed an eagerness to ally with Sunni autocrats against Shiite Iran, which he accused of fueling the fires of sectarian conflict and terrorism in the region.
Whether the arms deal clears Congress, which has blocked sales in the past, remains to be seen, and experts believe the ultimate amount actually sold to Saudi Arabia may be far lower. Nevertheless, some analysts suggested that Trump’s visit and the deliverables he promised could pay dividends on counterterrorism. My research on counterterrorism partnerships suggests that we should be skeptical.
Read the full article in The Washington Post.
More from CNAS
-
Middle East Security / National Security Law
Continuing Crisis in Strait of Hormuz: Why Iran’s Hold is Illegal and U.S. Military Force Alone FailsIran has drawn explicit lessons from this disruption and is now seeking to institutionalize its control....
By Mark Nevitt
-
Defense / Middle East Security
CNN: 1,000 Army Paratroopers Deploy to Middle East in DaysBecca Wasser, adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security joins CNN to discuss the deployment of troops to Iran and the status of negotiations.Watch the fu...
By Becca Wasser
-
Defense / Middle East Security
What It Would Take to Reopen the Strait of HormuzThe strait is about 140 miles (225 kilometers) long and only 25 miles wide at its narrowest point, meaning ships have little room to maneuver and are easy targets for attacks ...
By Becca Wasser
-
Middle East Security / Energy, Economics & Security
Oil Prices Continue to Underprice OutageAs the Iran war continues into its 4th week, the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has heightened pressure on the US and major energy importers. Iran has threatened to...
By Rachel Ziemba