US Opinion and Commentary

“VOA will present the policies of the United States clearly and effectively, and will also present responsible discussion and opinion on these policies.” — VOA Charter

Showing Archived Posts

Can Iran Change?

Posted January 19th, 2016 at 9:53 am (UTC-4)
Comments are closed

In an outlandish lie, Iran maligns and offends all Saudis by saying that my nation, home of the two holy mosques, brainwashes people to spread extremism. We are not the country designated a state sponsor of terrorism; Iran is.

The Saudi-U.S. Relationship: Shakier Than Ever

Posted January 11th, 2016 at 10:58 am (UTC-4)
Comments are closed

Both countries still need each other, but less than before. They’re still partners — but colder, more distant partners now.  

Saudi Arabia’s Last-Ditch Effort to Stop America’s Pivot to Iran

Posted January 6th, 2016 at 10:09 am (UTC-4)
Comments are closed

[The] Obama administration has effectively decided that upholding the nuclear accord with Iran is more important to U.S. interests — and to the president’s historical legacy —  than safeguarding a decades-old alliance with Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia’s Barbaric Executions

Posted January 5th, 2016 at 12:35 am (UTC-4)
Comments are closed

America’s longstanding alliance with the House of Saud is no reason for the Obama administration to do anything less than clearly condemn this foolhardy and dangerous course with a more robust response than its call Monday for both sides to exercise restraint.

Saudi Plays Dangerous Regional Game with Executions

Posted January 4th, 2016 at 12:37 pm (UTC-4)
Comments are closed

By Barbara Slavin Just when a U.S.-led coalition in Iraq appears to be making headway against the group that calls itself the Islamic State (ISIS), Saudi Arabia’s execution of a prominent Saudi Shi’ite cleric threatens to harden the sectarian divide fueling the region’s conflicts. Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, who led Saudi Arabia’s Shi’ite minority in protests […]