Topic: Persian Gulf
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Blast-off: 6 recent missile advances
Missiles have been prominent in the news with India’s successful test, North Korea’s failed one, and much talk of missile defense systems in Europe and the Persian Gulf. Here are six recent noteworthy missile-technology advances.
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Six reasons to keep America as No. 1 superpower
Many around the world say American decline would preserve global stability through a better balance of power. They’re wrong, says Steve Yetiv, a political science professor at Old Dominion University. It’s not that other countries or international institutions can’t play vital roles. They do. But they can't yet do what Washington does around the world, Yetiv says. Here he gives six examples.
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5 countries with the longest ongoing US sanctions
Sanctions are once again leading the news with trade embargoes tightening around Iran and debates over whether to loosen US restrictions on Cuba and Myanmar.
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Getting the Strait of Hormuz straight: an FAQ
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Iran nuclear program: 5 key sites
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$5 gas: Is it around the corner for US drivers this summer?
$5 gas: With residents in nine states and D.C. already paying more than $4 for a gallon of regular gas, analysts ask if the national average will reach $5 a gallon this year.
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Photos of the Day: Photos of the Day 04/26
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Saleh's deadly crackdowns deepen Yemen protesters' resolve
Three protesters were killed and dozens injured Tuesday when Yemeni government forces loyal to President Ali Abdullah Saleh dispersed crowds protesting Mr. Saleh's rule.
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Mideast unrest could boost Iran, but it faces upheaval at home
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's rapid implementation of fuel subsidy cuts – estimated at $20 billion to date – could stir discontent.
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Bahrain backs off plan to ban opposition after US criticism
The abrupt U-turn suggests that the US, which has been largely silent over the past month, still wields influence over the tiny kingdom despite its acquiescence to Saudi interests there.
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Why US silence on Bahrain's crackdown could backfire
For the fourth time in two weeks, a detainee died in police custody. Witnesses say his body, like the others, bore signs of abuse.
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Amid unrest, Bahrain companies fire hundreds of Shiites
At least 16 Bahraini companies or government ministries have fired hundreds of mostly Shiite workers during the past week. Employees speak of being dismissed despite being on pre-approved leave or having received approval to stay home due to the unrest.
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Bahrain's calculated campaign of intimidation
Bahraini activists and locals describe midnight arrests, disappearances, beatings at checkpoints, and denial of medical care – all aimed at deflating the country's pro-democracy protest movement.
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Cut oil imports by one-third: Did Obama set the right goal for the US?
Cutting oil imports by one-third by 2025 might be less ambitious than it sounds. A better goal, some experts say, might be to more strongly encourage alternative fuels to make oil less important overall.
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Eight ways $100 oil may affect you
In recent weeks, the price of a barrel of oil has stayed at about $100 a barrel, and gasoline prices have been edging closer to $4 a gallon. The costs are apparently due to events half a world away, in the Middle East. Even though plenty of oil is around, there is fear of further disruptions, and consumers, business people, and politicians have all been making adjustments. Here are eight ways that higher energy prices are starting to affect America.
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How the Japan earthquake could change Japan's worldview
'The earthquake shook a lot of pieces loose, not the least of which were in the Japanese psyche,' said political scientist George Friedman. This will likely cause a shift in energy policy to one more dependent on others.
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The Monitor's View: In Stage 2 of the Arab spring, Obama faces tougher choices
Use of armed force in Libya and Bahrain, the question of a no-fly zone, as well as the role of oil, make the choices for Obama much tougher than during Egypt's revolution.
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Why Bahrain is unlikely to turn into an Iran-Saudi battleground
The intervention of Saudi forces has escalated tensions between Bahrain's protesters and the country's Sunni rulers, leaving at least one dead and drawing criticism from Iran.
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West Africa Rising: Regional ties to Iran, Libya may be on the wane
Since the unrest that has swept the Arab world began in January, many of West Africa's leader nations have been distancing themselves from the crumbling regimes to their north.
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In Pictures: Foreign forces to Libya
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Oman protests intensify as Sultan struggles to appease demonstrators
Oman protests come with calls for economic improvements and political reform, but stop short of demanding removal of the Gulf state's Sultan Qaboos.
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Gates's warning: Avoid land war in Asia, Middle East, and Africa
In a speech to cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point, Gates’s message was clear: The US military services, as well as the elected and appointed civilians who send them to war, need better ways of foreseeing and preparing for national security threats.
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How Mideast turmoil affects oil prices. Six questions answered
From the first spark of Middle East unrest in Tunisia in December until the violent suppression of protests in Libya in late February, the price of a barrel of crude oil rose from $88 a barrel to more than $100. But rising demand – from oil-hungry China and other fast-growing nations – was pushing prices up even before the turmoil. How much prices rise depends largely on whether supplies flow unimpeded from the Middle East. Here’s a rundown on oil supply-price issues affecting the US.
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How dictators stash their cash 101: How can Egypt track stolen assets?
A first step is identifying where assets are held. Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi is said to have billions stashed in bank accounts from Dubai to Switzerland.
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How a broken social contract sparked Bahrain protests
The Bahrain protests go beyond the sectarian prism of Sunni versus Shiite. The ruling Al Khalifa family has been unable to provide Bahrainis the kind of interest-free loans and medical care that some of their neighbors have enjoyed.
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US faces difficult situation in Bahrain, home to US Fifth Fleet
The US has important strategic interests in Bahrain, including the US Navy's Fifth Fleet – patrolling oil shipping lanes, keeping an eye on Iran, and involved with the war in Afghanistan. But US officials also worry about Bahrain's violent response to pro-democracy demonstrators.
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From Libya to Bahrain, Mideast autocracy under fire
After Egypt set Arab imaginations alight, autocrats from Qaddafi to the Khalifa dynasty face an assault unparalleled since the post-World War II revolutions that brought independence.
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The Monitor's View: Middle East could pivot on Bahrain protests
A confluence of big-power influence runs through the tiny Gulf state of Bahrain. The outcome of protests there are critical to the US, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. Obama needs to act boldly but carefully.
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Where is Bahrain's unrest headed?
Bahrain, a tiny island nation flanked by Saudi Arabia and Iran, showed its willingness today to use force to stymie growing calls for reform. At least three protesters were reported dead in an overnight raid.
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Bahrain protests: Five key facts
Bahrain (officially the Kingdom of Bahrain) doesn't usually receive much international attention. But the uprising that swept through the Middle East last year reached Bahrain's central Pearl Square, as thousands turned out to protest for reforms. Below are some key facts about this small cluster of islands off Saudi Arabia's coast.
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