America’s Saudi Liability

Saudi Arabia’s execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr demonstrates that Riyadh is able to act with growing impunity in the Middle East. It also signals a potentially dangerous shift in American-Saudi relations.

In my latest for Pacific Standard, I take a deeper look at why the U.S.’ problem with managing Saudi Arabia is largely one of its own making—and what this means for the escalating Saudi-Iranian rift.

Aside from the obvious ramifications, there’s an equally disquieting undercurrent to this whole episode: The U.S. government had implored Saudi officials not to follow through with Nimr’s execution behind closed doors.

(Photo: Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images)

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