Joseph Bahout is a visiting scholar in the Carnegie Middle East program. While his main topic of research is the Levant, namely the politics of Lebanon and Syria, Bahout has been closely following events in Saudi Arabia in recent months, in particular the succession question in the kingdom, contributing a number of posts on the matter for Diwan. In mid-December, he was in Beirut for the annual conference of the Carnegie Middle East Center, and Diwan caught up with him to get his end-of-year view of developments in Saudi Arabia, in the Gulf Cooperation Council, and in U.S.-Saudi relations.
The Gulf in Arabia
Carnegie’s Joseph Bahout discusses the transformations in Saudi Arabia and the GCC, and the risks involved.
More work from Diwan
The Hezbollah Disarmament Debate Hits IraqBeirut and Baghdad are both watching how the other seeks to give the state a monopoly of weapons.
- Hasan Hamra
Iran’s Woes Aren’t Only DomesticThe country’s leadership is increasingly uneasy about multiple challenges from the Levant to the South Caucasus.
Is Lebanon Hosting Officers of the Former Assad Regime?Recent leaks made public by Al-Jazeera suggest that this is the case, but the story may be more complicated.
- Mohamad Fawaz
Pax Israelica and Its DiscontentsThe U.S. is trying to force Lebanon and Syria to normalize with Israel, but neither country sees an advantage in this.
Unpacking Lebanon’s Gap LawIn an interview, Ishac Diwan looks at the merits and flaws in the draft legislation distributing losses from the financial collapse.
