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Hussain Abdul-Hussain

Hussain Abdul-Hussain is the Washington bureau chief of Kuwaiti daily Al-Rai and a former visiting fellow at Chatham House in London. Previously, he helped launch and manage the Iraqi stream of the Arabic TV network Alhurra. Before relocating to Washington, Abdul-Hussain worked as a reporter, and later as managing editor, for Lebanon’s The Daily Star. He has reported from conflict zones on the border between Lebanon and Israel, and from Baghdad shortly after the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime. Abdul-Hussain has also contributed articles to US newspapers, including The New York Times and the Washington Post, and appeared on American TV news networks such as CNN and MSNBC. In addition, he is a frequent commentator on Arabic satellite TV networks.

Articles By Hussain Abdul-Hussain

Biden Will Encourage More Arab States to Normalize Relations with Israel By Hussain Abdul-Hussain - Nov 15, 2020

Throughout the US presidential campaign season, Joe Biden argued against President Donald Trump’s handling of almost every issue, from Covid-19 to the economy, from police brutality to climate change. The only time Biden, now the president-elect, praised a Trump administration policy was when he commended the normalization deals the US mediated between Israel and (so … Continue reading “Biden Will Encourage More Arab States to Normalize Relations with Israel”

Border Talks with Israel Could Make Lebanon a Normal Country Again By Hussain Abdul-Hussain - Oct 30, 2020

On October 14, Lebanon held initial talks with Israel over 850 square kilometers of disputed maritime territory. While the negotiations are predicated on hydrocarbon exploration, the fact that they are happening at all is implicit recognition of Israel by Lebanon. If and when the maritime border is settled, there is likelihood that the two parties … Continue reading “Border Talks with Israel Could Make Lebanon a Normal Country Again”

Why Iraq’s Prime Minister Should Heed Ayatollah Sistani and Disband the Iranian Militias By Hussain Abdul-Hussain - Oct 15, 2020

Iraq’s top Shia cleric, Ayatollah Ali Sistani, last month called for the disbanding of all militias. This would involve the state disarming the pro-Iran Popular Mobilization Units (PMU). In turn, this would neutralize Tehran’s most reliable partner in Iraq, Kataeb Hezbollah, the most dangerous alternative to state power in the country. That shows how important … Continue reading “Why Iraq’s Prime Minister Should Heed Ayatollah Sistani and Disband the Iranian Militias”

America’s ‘Snapback’ On Iran Nuclear Deal Shows UN’s Irrelevance By Hussain Abdul-Hussain - Sep 29, 2020

Iran, Russia, China and America’s Democratic party presidential candidate, Joe Biden, agree on one thing: America under President Donald Trump is “isolated.” Iran even goes as far as to declare victory over America. In his speech to the UN General Assembly, President Hassan Rouhani said that whoever is elected US president in the November elections … Continue reading “America’s ‘Snapback’ On Iran Nuclear Deal Shows UN’s Irrelevance”

No More Excuses – Iraq’s Prime Minister Must Face Down Iran and Its Militias By Hussain Abdul-Hussain - Sep 18, 2020

In a recent interview, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi said he envisaged the Middle East as a region that he called “the New Levant,” which would be like the European Union, where capital and technology flow freely. He also said he favored the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq because it would remove the raison … Continue reading “No More Excuses – Iraq’s Prime Minister Must Face Down Iran and Its Militias”