| FROM WASHINGTON |
| The United States has temporarily frozen arms sales to Saudi Arabia and is “scrutinizing” a weapons package to the UAE that was inked in the last minutes of the Trump administration. This decision follows a letter from House Democrats to President Joe Biden requesting “a meaningful adjustment in the U.S.-Saudi relationship.” There has been considerable congressional pushback on the weapons agreements with both Saudi Arabia and the UAE.During a press availability with Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday, Blinken told reporters that “it is typical at the start of an administration to review any pending sales, to make sure that what is being considered is something that advances our strategic objectives and advances our foreign policy.”In December, POMED joined more than two dozen international rights groups calling on the United States not to sign the weapons deal with the UAE. You can read the full letter here.A chief concern about the arms sales is how U.S. weapons might be used to further humanitarian abuses in the war in Yemen, which has been a key point of pressure for the new administration.During the press availability, Blinken said it is “vitally important that we do everything we can to get humanitarian assistance to the people of Yemen.” In response to a question from Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) at her confirmation hearing yesterday, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Biden’s nominee for ambassador to the United Nations, said that “Yemen is being used by both the Saudis and the Iranians who have contributed to the war, and so I think it is incumbent…to address this issue at the Security Council.”Meanwhile, Raytheon CEO Greg Hayes told investors this week that he expects the Biden administration to block the sale to Saudi Arabia, but also said he believes that the Middle East “remains an area where we’ll continue to see solid growth.” |
| The New Secretary of State on Democracy, MENA On January 26, the Senate confirmed Antony J. Blinken to serve as Secretary of State in the Biden administration. At his January 19 Senate nomination hearing, Blinken spoke about how he and the administration plan to approach global democracy promotion and certain Middle East issues. POMED compiled a selection of his remarks. Read more here. |
| FROM THE REGION |
| Bahrain On January 22, 118 international rights groups sent an open letter to Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark calling on her to “strengthen efforts” to free human rights defender and dual Danish-Bahraini citizen Abdulhadi al-Khawaja. Al-Khawaja is currently serving a life sentence in Bahrain’s Jau prison for organizing peaceful protests in Bahrain in 2011. He was arrested in April of that year and has been “subjected to…severe physical, psychological, and sexual torture in detention.”The signatories highlight concerns raised by al-Khawaja in a recent call, including that prison authorities are denying him necessary medical care and refusing to let him speak with his family over the phone. The letter notes that the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions has said that “al-Khawaja’s detention is arbitrary, as it is exclusively linked to his peaceful exercise of the rights and freedoms guaranteed under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”On January 22, 16 members of the European Parliament sent a letter to Josep Borrell, the European Union minister for foreign affairs, writing that they are “deeply concerned by the ongoing deterioration of human rights in Bahrain.”The MPs urged Borrell to work to secure the release of and provide medical treatment to two detained dual European-Bahraini citizens (including al-Khawaja) and Bahraini opposition leader Hassan Mushaima; they also asked Borrell to push Bahrain “to restore their moratorium on the death penalty.” Borrell was scheduled to meet with Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani on January 26. |
| United Arab Emirates A new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) reveals the “first public account of [Ahmed] Mansoor’s [closed] trial proceedings,” showing “grave violations of due process and fair trial guarantees.” Mansoor, a prominent Emirati human rights activist, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in May 2018, more than a year after his arrest. Mansoor has been held in solitary confinement and denied any communication since his arrestPer the new report, the charges against him were all related to his human rights advocacy and public statements in support of human rights, including tweets and WhatsApp messages. The report notes that some of the evidence presented included correspondence with HRW, GCHR, and Amnesty International.Khalid Ibrahim, executive director of GCHR, said, “Mansoor knew he risked prison when he devoted himself to protesting human rights violations in his country and the wider region, yet he still did so with courage and dedication…That is why UAE authorities have punished him so harshly.”Michael Page, deputy Middle East director at HRW, said that “the UAE authorities’ railroading of Ahmed Mansoor shows their utter contempt for the rule of law and their determination to intimidate its critics into silence by any means necessary.” |
| Yemen As Yemen teeters on the brink of large scale famine, a UN report asserts that both Yemen’s government and the Houthi rebel group have been diverting aid funding meant to help Yemeni citizens. Of the $2 billion given to Yemen’s government by Saudi Arabia in 2018 to support food security, $423 million was laundered by the Central Bank of Yemen and sent to private companies without explanation.In 2019, the Houthis collected at least $1.8 billion worth of taxes and other state revenue, much of which was used to finance the ongoing war instead of paying public servants and providing basic services to citizens. |
| ON OUR RADARJanuary 26 – There was a reported blast in Riyadh on Tuesday; the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted a Houthi missile aimed towards Riyadh days earlier, but it is unclear if this is related. (Reuters)January 26 – Iran has sentenced dual U.S.-Iranian citizen Emad Sharghi to 10 years in prison on espionage charges, reportedly without trial. (Associated Press)January 27 – Saudi officials announced that they have arrested seven businessmen for trying to transfer $3.1 billion dollars overseas. (Bloomberg) |
| WHAT WE’RE READING |
| The Abu Dhabi Royal at the Nexus of UAE Business and National Security Andrew England and Simeon KerrFinancial TimesIn a First, Yemenis Seek Redress for U.S. Drone Strikes at Inter-American Rights Body Missy Ryan & Souad Mekhennet Washington Post |
