Category Archives: Yemen

Yemen in Focus w/ US Special Envoy Tim Lenderking [2022 Arab-US Policymakers Conference]

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The 31st Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference, Arab-U.S. Uncertainties: What Lies Ahead?, convened at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C., on November 2-3, 2022. These are some of the conference proceedings.

 

 
“Yemen in Focus”

Featuring:

Mr. Timothy Lenderking – U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Yemen; former U.S. Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arabian Peninsula Affairs.

Mr. David Des Roches – U.S. Department of Defense National Defense University Near East/South Asia Center for Strategic Studies Associate Professor; National Council Senior International Affairs Fellow.

Mr. Abdulrahman Al-Eryani – Professional international development specialist; former Principal Economic Officer, Embassy of the Republic of Yemen.

Ms. Sarah Charles – U.S. Agency for International Development Assistant to the Administrator; former White House National Security Council Director; former International Rescue Committee Senior Director for Policy and Advocacy.

Ambassador (Ret.) Christopher Henzel – former United States Ambassador to Yemen (2019-2021); former United States Chargé d’affaires Ad Interim in Saudi Arabia (2017-2019).

The Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference is the signature annual symposium organized and administered by the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations.

National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations and Adalah Foundation Collaborate to Bring Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League to Yemen

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United States Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking, Ambassador of Yemen to the United States His Excellency Mohammed Al-Hadhrami, Ambassador (Ret.) Richard Schmierer, and Distinguished Guests Attend Signing Ceremony To Celebrate Cooperation Between American and Yemen Non-Profit NGOs

Washington, D.C., U.S.A. & Mukalla, Hadhramout, Yemen: The Washington, D.C.-based National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations (“National Council” or “Council”) recently executed a Memorandum of Understanding for strategic cooperation on educational programs for students with the Mukalla-based Adalah Foundation For Legal Development (“Adalah Foundation”). The agreement will expand the National Council’s Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League in the Arab region to include secondary and university students from the Republic of Yemen. Under the Memorandum of Understanding each party will maintain its independent status.

The National Council’s Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League is an experiential learning exercise where students have the opportunity to practice representing the needs, concerns, interests, and objectives of someone other than themselves during the course of simulating a diplomatic summit. The program has been educating and training leaders of tomorrow since its inception in the early 1980s. There are over 55,000 program alumni, and conferences in Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia augment the roughly 20 conferences with 2,000 total students who participate in the activity in the United States each year.

Individuals stand together after signing an agreement

The cooperation agreement between the National Council and the Adalah Foundation was celebrated at a signing ceremony this week at the office of the National Council. In attendance were United States Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking, Ambassador of Yemen to the United States His Excellency Mohammed Al-Hadhrami, and guests from the Adalah Foundation, the National Council, and the Embassy of Yemen in Washington, D.C., including Council Chairman John Pratt and Council International Advisory Committee Member and Middle East Policy Council President & Chairman of the Board Ambassador (Ret.) Richard Schmierer (not pictured).

With educational resources and support made available to the Yemeni participants by the National Council, the Adalah Foundation will implement the Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League’s educational components of diplomatic simulations, workshops, and conferences to provide learning and training opportunities for Yemeni youth. The Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League helps young individuals develop professional skills that will be vital to their success in whatever path their future takes. Through the Adalah Foundation’s efforts and with the Council’s support, the Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League will provide opportunities for Yemen’s emerging leaders to grow intellectually and professionally to prepare them to address challenges confronting their country, region, and the global community.

National Council Founding President & CEO Dr. John Duke Anthony praised the collaboration between the Council and the Adalah Foundation to further learning and leadership training in Yemen. He remarked, “Involvement in Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League could hardly be more essential. Few programs are as effective in introducing and exploring the complexities facing the people and nations of the world. Just imagine what happens as young leaders of tomorrow analyze and address issues from a perspective different from their own. Not only does it dramatically improve their ability to think critically and empathetically, it also enhances their ability to address the multifaceted range of challenges facing our shared future.”

Student raise placards in the air to vote on a motion during a meeting

Students utilize parliamentary procedure during Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League sessions. Understanding and utilizing basic rules of meetings helps to train future leaders how to consider viewpoints and make decisions in a fair, consistent, and effective manner.

At a signing ceremony celebrating the cooperation agreement, Founder and Chairman of the Adalah Foundation Mr. Mohammed Bin Hamdeen shared his passion for youth leadership development education, remarking that “this invaluable collaboration with the National Council will train, educate, and uplift Yemen students who are eager to promote diplomacy and peace for the benefit of a peaceful and prosperous Yemen. Youth represent a large percentage of the population and we must engage our future leaders in programs and projects that will prepare them for opportunities and meaningful lives.”

About the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations: Founded in 1983 and based in Washington, D.C., the National Council is an American non-profit, non-governmental, educational organization dedicated to improving American knowledge and understanding of the Arab region. Information about the Council’s program, projects, events, and activities can be found at ncusar.org.

About the Adalah Foundation: Founded in 2012 and based in Mukalla, Yemen, Adalah (meaning ‘Justice’ in Arabic) is a non-profit foundation dedicated to enhancing effective community participation and youth capabilities toward promoting peace and building the state of law responsive to Yemen’s needs and aspirations. Information about the Adalah Foundation can be found at www.adalah-ye.org.

Focus on the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen

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On June 24, 2021, the National Council and Reconnaissance Research convened an online discussion, “Focus on the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen.”

 

 

Joining the program were:

Featured Specialists:

  • Mr. Timothy A. Lenderking, U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen (February 4, 2021 – Present); Former U.S. Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arabian Peninsula Affairs; Former U.S. Department of State Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
  • Ms. Sarah Charles, U.S. Agency for International Development Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance Assistant to the Administrator; Former International Rescue Committee Senior Director for Policy and Advocacy; Former White House National Security Council Director for Humanitarian Affairs, and Director and Acting Senior Director for Strategic Planning.
  • Mr. David Gressly, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen (February 15, 2021 – Present); Former Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Protection and Operations for the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Moderator:

  • Colonel (Ret.) Abbas K. Dahouk, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Board of Directors Member; Former U.S. Department of State Senior Military Advisor; Former U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia Defense and Army Attaché; HyphenPoint LLC President.

Welcome and Context Providers:

  • Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO; Former Fulbright Fellow in the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen (1969-1970); Official observer for four of Yemen’s presidential and parliamentary elections.
  • Mr. Abdulaziz M. Al-Anjeri, Reconnaissance Research Founder and CEO.

Audio and video recordings of the program are available above and below, and on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and elsewhere.

“Focus on the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen: A Conversation with Tim Lenderking, Sarah Charles, and David Gressly” podcast (.mp3)

Examining Saudi Arabia’s Humanitarian Outreach: A Conversation with H.E. Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah

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On April 15, 2021, the National Council convened an online program, “Examining Saudi Arabia’s Humanitarian Outreach: A Conversation with H.E. Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah.”

 

 

Joining the program were:

Featured Specialist:

  • His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, King Salman Humanitarian Aid & Relief Centre Supervisor General; Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Royal Court Advisor; Former Saudi Arabia Minister of Health.

Moderator:

  • Colonel (Ret.) Abbas K. Dahouk, Former U.S. Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Senior Military Advisor; Former Embassy of the United States in Saudi Arabia Defense and Army Attaché; HyphenPoint LLC President; National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Board of Directors Member.

Welcome and Context Provider:

  • Dr. John Duke Anthony, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Founding President and CEO.

Audio and video recordings of the program are available above and below, and on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and elsewhere.

“Examining Saudi Arabia’s Humanitarian Outreach: A Conversation with H.E. Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah” podcast (.mp3)

Yemen: How Near or Distant a Resolution to its Present Conflict?

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On March 21, 2019, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations hosted a public affairs briefing in Washington, D.C. exploring “Yemen: How Near or Distant a Resolution to its Present Conflict?”

Specialists at the National Council’s March 21, 2019 public affairs briefing included Dr. John Duke Anthony, H.E. Dr. Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, Mr. Timothy Pounds, Ms. Summer Nasser, Dr. Stephen W. Day, and Colonel (Ret.) Abbas Dahouk.

The featured specialists included:

  • H.E. Dr. Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, Ambassador of the Republic of Yemen to the United States; Office of Yemen’s President Chief of Staff; Yemen’s National Dialogue Conference Secretary General;
  • Mr. Timothy Pounds, U.S. Department of State Office of Arabian Peninsula Affairs Director; former U.S. Embassy in Bahrain Deputy Chief of Mission;
  • Dr. Stephen W. Day, Editor of Global, Regional, and Local Dynamics in Yemen’s War (early 2020) and Author of Regionalism and Rebellion in Yemen: A Troubled National Union (2012); Rollins College Adjunct Professor of International Affairs;
  • Ms. Summer Nasser, Yemen Aid Chairperson; Speaker and analyst on Yemeni affairs; and,
  • Colonel (Ret.) Abbas K. Dahouk, former U.S. Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Senior Military Advisor; former Embassy of the U.S. in Saudi Arabia Defense and Army Attaché.

Dr. John Duke Anthony, Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations, served as context provider and moderator.

A podcast recording of the program is available below.

 

 

“Yemen: How Near or Distant a Resolution to its Present Conflict?” podcast (.mp3)

Humanitarian Challenges in Yemen

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On September 18, 2017, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations and the U.S.-GCC Corporate Cooperation Committee hosted a public affairs briefing on “Humanitarian Challenges in Yemen” in Washington, DC.

His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid & Relief Centre, speaks on Capitol Hill on September 18, 2017.

His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah (Supervisor General, King Salman Humanitarian Aid & Relief Centre; Advisor, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Royal Court; and Former Minister of Health, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) was the featured specialist. Dr. John Duke Anthony served as context provider and moderator.

A podcast recording of the program is available below.

 

 

“Humanitarian Challenges in Yemen” podcast (.mp3)

“Yemen-U.S. Relations in Focus” – 24th Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference

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Session on Yemen-U.S. Relations in Focus with H.E. Ambassador Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak, from the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations’ 24th Annual Arab-US Policymakers’ Conference, “U.S.-Arab Relations at a Crossroads: What Paths Forward?,” on October 15, 2015, in Washington, DC.

Listen to Podcast (.mp3)

Read Transcript (.pdf)

A King From The East Approaches: Looking at King Salman’s Meeting with President Obama

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King Salman’s visit to Washington comes at a unique time in the U.S.-Saudi Arabian relationship. The relationship is fundamentally strong. It is, however, characterized by a lack of adequate mutual understanding – among many there are different motives and goals, misattributions of intent, and stress on its underpinnings.

It is human nature to accept the positive aspects of a situation as given and to focus – and in some cases obsess – on the negative. So the following is warranted: the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia will not only endure. It is more likely to strengthen than weaken over time.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Sa'ud and President Barack Obama during the president's January 27, 2015, visit to Saudi Arabia.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Sa’ud and President Barack Obama during the president’s January 27, 2015, visit to Saudi Arabia. Photo: U.S. Department of State.

The disagreements and trends outlined below will not significantly disrupt the strong and committed strategic, economic, geopolitical, and defense cooperation relationship. Indeed, even if the meeting between King Salman and President Obama contains moments of what a freewheeling media may contend are contentious, the fact that the leaders of these two nations are meeting at all – and at this time to exchange views on matters of immense importance to both peoples – is in and of itself a sign of the relationship’s strength. For context: note that the United States and Great Britain meet to resolve differences; the Koreas do not. Of these two sets of relationships, one is strong and vital; the other is, at best, dysfunctional.

The positive aspects aside, that the media, Members of Congress, and lobbyists of all stripes will and have already begun to parrot and highlight elements of mistrust and misapprehension in the relationship is undeniable. Given those that support them – and/or to whom they seek to convey their analyses and net negative assessments of the Saudi Arabia-U.S. relationship – are who they are, this is in many ways to be expected. In the dynamics of give and take within a world where different parties and powers often display their competitive colors, such jousting between friends, allies, and partners – and adversaries, too – is also something else: part of the essence of two non-identical countries – name two countries that are not – being regional and international leaders.

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