Podcast: Play in new window | Download
With the recent tragic news of Jamal Khashoggi’s murder likely at the hands of Saudi officials, it is imperative we take a look at the long history of Saudi Arabia’s troubled past and its relationship with the United States. In this episode we examine the founding of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from the alliance between the House of Saud and Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab to its rebellion against the Ottomans. We discuss the relationship of Saudi Arabia with Great Britain and the United States and the oil and military interests in the region. We examine the contours and shifts of relationships from the Suez Crisis to the first gulf war and the invasion of Kuwait. We discuss the exportation of Wahhabism abroad and the consequences for Middle East history and international relations. Finally we conclude with the take over of the Crown Prince, Muhammad bin Salman and his changing relationship with Wahhabism, his encouragement of Saudi nationalism, the war in Yemen, his close ties to the Trump administration and its impact on the region.
