(ANTIMEDIA Op-Ed) This week, the Trump administration condemned the Venezuelan government following the country’s recent election. But as the U.S. imposes sanctions on Venezuela and vocally decries their lack of democracy, President Trump’s outrage is all but nonexistent as a U.S. ally preparing to behead 14 students for protesting.
There is trouble in oil paradise. It seems that all the elements of an already explosive geopolitical concoction are getting vigorously stirred.
(MPN) — In February, during the Munich Security Conference, Saudi Arabia joined Israel in calling for sanctions against Iran for its role in supporting the Syrian government.
Qatari markets are likely to suffer further in the coming days as the country is locked out of regional trade and exchange [Xinhua]
Markets in the Middle East took a hit following announcements from Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Yemen that they had severed ties with Qatar over its alleged ties to “extremist” groups.
Qatar’s QE Index became the world’s worst performing and hardest hit Middle Eastern exchange on Monday as a result of the break in diplomatic ties when it lost 7.27 per cent of its value at press time.
(MEE) Washington has agreed to arms deals with Saudi Arabia worth almost $110bn on Saturday, the first day of President Donald Trump’s visit to the traditional US ally, with options for as much as $350bn over 10 years.
Trump hailed the $110bn deal for Saudi purchases of US defence equipment and services, which was reached during meetings in Riyadh.
(ANTIWAR.COM) Over the past few weeks there’ve been multiple reports of President Trump planning to unveil a massive arms sale to Saudi Arabia during his Riyadh visit, and the figures have kept rising. What was $100 billion earlier this week is now, according to the most recent reports $350 billion.
(ANTIWAR.COM) Earlier this month, US officials said the US was seeking to reach “billions” of dollars in arms sales to Saudi Arabia as part of Trump’s visit to Riyadh. With a week left before the visit, officials now say the White House is very close to the deal, and that it will amount to over $100 billion in sales.
(MEE) Saudi Arabia is planning to cement ties with US President Donald Trump by investing $40 billion in US infrastructure development, according to media reports.
(COMMONDREAMS) Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Wednesday lifted the government’s human rights restrictions on arms sales to Bahrain, in a move that Amnesty International called “galling” and “a dangerous signal.”
(MPN) One of the major tenets of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign was his promise to bring about “complete American energy independence,” a promise that won him the unwavering support of the U.S. fossil fuel industry and several key endorsements.
