The United States is helping Oman militarize its border with Yemen, trapping refugees from the U.S.-backed bombing of the country.
The U.S. Isn’t Just Backing the Yemen War — It’s Helping Trap Those Forced to Flee
read more
Oman
Yemen’s War Is Redrawing the Middle East’s Fault Lines
Saudi Arabia’s ongoing war in Yemen does more to highlight the kingdom’s isolation than its power.
Kingdom of Slaves
In the smallest Gulf kingdoms, upwards of 90 percent of residents are immigrant laborers. Many face unspeakable abuse.
Pro-Democracy Protests Spread to Oman
Oman’s autocratic monarchy has long been one of the closest U.S. allies in the Middle East. And, as with authoritarian U.S. allies in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, and Yemen, a largely nonviolent, pro-democracy struggle has arisen in Oman as well. Oman is yet one more test of whether the Obama administration will continue to back an autocratic status quo in allied Arab countries or respect the wishes of their people, manifested through large-scale nonviolent action.
Congress Approves Flawed Oman Trade Pact
One of the sub-plots in last year’s critically acclaimed film Syriana tells the story of two young Pakistani Âguest workers in an unnamed Persian Gulf nation who, after years of resentment over miserable living conditions, are taken in by a radical cleric and recruited to be suicide bombers. The film is an all too accurate portrayal of the exploitation of Âguest workers in many Gulf countries, and how these conditions can cause instability.