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Newsletter #296

December 14-20, 2008

What's New on SUSRIS

Defense Cooperation: Industry Perspective (AUSPC 2008) - Jeffrey McCray

"..As a defense contractor there isn’t really a way or a forum to look at defense cooperation on a GCC wide basis. Defense cooperation ranges or can range from the delivery of equipment and services on individual contracts through local assembly, local manufacture programs, to the establishment of long-term partnerships, which we have done in some countries in the region, and potentially to the establishment of joint ventures, which we have also done in various places in the Gulf.."  [more]

Election 2008: Arab World Views (AUSPC 2008) Media Panel (Part 2)

"..So the source of information for the general American public is TV news media, primarily Fox News, which has many, many more viewers than say CNN or BBC certainly. If you look at Fox News and if you look at just the three top TV news media, a firm out of Germany called Media Tenor did a media content analysis over the period of, the beginning of 2007 until March of 2008 and looked at how Islam and Muslims were portrayed in that time period of about 18 months and what they found was that the majority of coverage on Islam was negative. They actually went and did a qualitative analysis of all statements made. And in news, this isn’t just editorials, it should be neutral. It shouldn’t be positive, it shouldn’t be negative. But when you have the majority as negative that’s alarming.."  [more]

Special Report - Oil on a Slide: OPEC Acts, Again

"The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) yesterday agreed to slash 2.2 million barrels from its daily production — its single largest cut ever — while bloc outsiders Russia and Azerbaijan announced their own cutbacks of hundreds of thousands of barrels from the market. “I hope we surprised you,” OPEC President Chekib Khelil said when asked whether the size of the cut would shock moribund oil markets into an upward trend. “If you’re not surprised we need to do something about it.” And yet markets weren’t impressed."  [more]

Iran and Iraq: Challenges in Transition (AUSPC 2008) - Wayne White

"..On Iraq, I think it's clear from the intense wrangling over the U.S.-Iraqi Status of Forces Agreement, the SOFA, or a memorandum of understanding, or whatever title this agreement will eventually bear in recent months that Iraqis want the American role in Iraq to be reduced quite considerably. Since this is likely to occur regardless of what Washington wants or doesn't want, it's best for all concerned on the American side to get used to the idea that for better or worse, the Iraqis will be progressively taking over at a pace far faster than would have been anticipated just six months ago.."  [more]

The Centrality of Saudi Arabia (AUSPC 2008) - Amb. Wyche Fowler

"..I want to suggest to the new President, whoever he may be, that the most important role for him to play as he looks at the Middle East is to recognize the centrality of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in all geopolitical, religious issues in that region. There will not be an acceptable solution, acceptable in the Middle East and acceptable to the United States of America in Afghanistan, in Iraq without the centrality of Saudi Arabia in that process. There will not be an acceptable solution to the issues that we have with the Iranians without the advice if not consent, acquiescence, of Saudi Arabia to our new policies. And I hope that with a new Administration that the State Department will understand, as we seem to forget -- King Abdullah’s Interfaith Dialogue Initiative has reminded us -- that King Abdullah is not only the chief executive, the chief monarch of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, his title is Abdullah Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. And he is looked to by all of Islam not only to protect and revere the Two Holy Mosques in Saudi Arabia but I submit by extension to make sure that Islam’s third holiest site in Jerusalem is protected and revered.."  [more]

Saudi Arabia and the Global Financial Crisis - Brad Bourland - Jadwa Investment

"The world is passing through an unprecedented financial crisis. Global financial conditions worsened to the point that the financial system almost ceased operating in early October. Conditions have since improved, but not without massive wealth destruction, as banks have been forced to write down hundreds of billions of dollars, huge financial institutions have gone bankrupt or been bailed out by governments and stock markets have plunged."  [more]

Regional Defense Challenges: A New Administration, A New Congress (AUSPC 2008) - Christopher Blanchard

"..To date the Bush Administration working with Congress has supported a variety of longstanding and new security cooperation programs to respond to these conditions and other conventional and unconventional threats. These programs include what I call legacy programs. These are longstanding programs, for example with Saudi Arabia, such as the Saudi Arabian National Guard modernization program, the Military Training Mission – these continue to serve as the principal U.S. military liaison relationships with the Saudi National Guard and the Ministry of Defense and Aviation. They continue to operate through the mechanism of the foreign military sales program and both programs in the last 12 months, 16 months have seen potential sales notifications to Congress that will extend the programs commitment and activities well into the next Administration.."  [more]

Manama Dialogue - Continuity and Commitment - Robert Gates

"..The President-elect asked me to stay on as Secretary of Defense and, as you know, I accepted. I am honored to continue leading the Department of Defense, and am doing everything in my power to ensure a smooth transition. On that note, I should mention that more extensive planning has been done across the government in preparation for this transition than at any time I can remember – and I have worked for seven presidents, soon to be eight. So anyone who thought that the upcoming months might present opportunities to “test” the new administration would be sorely mistaken. President Obama and his national security team, myself included, will be ready to defend the interests of the United States and our friends and allies from the moment he takes office on January 20th.."  [more]

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