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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.

The Democrats’ Victory in Congress Will Hurt Iran By Hussain Abdul-Hussain - Nov 8, 2018

Sanctions “hurt Iranians.” That was the un-startling revelation by an American think-tank personality, a “friend-of-Iran,” in a recent radio interview. Well, of course they do. But the larger goal is to force the behavior of the regime; regrettably, but to be brutally honest, “hurting Iranians” is part of the process to pressure the leadership. The … Continue reading “The Democrats’ Victory in Congress Will Hurt Iran”

Is Iraq’s New Prime Minister Able to Deliver Reforms and Fight Corruption? By Hussain Abdul-Hussain - Oct 7, 2018

Three weeks before he was named Iraq’s prime minister-designate, Adel Abdul Mahdi wrote an editorial in which he argued that the position should not be about the person in the role, but instead should be all about “rules and institutions.” He said that the authority of ministers should be bound by regulations, and demanded a … Continue reading “Is Iraq’s New Prime Minister Able to Deliver Reforms and Fight Corruption?”

As the UN Tribunal for Lebanon Readies to Issue Its Verdict on Rafik Hariri’s Murder, Hezbollah’s Choices Are Limited By Hussain Abdul-Hussain - Sep 30, 2018

It is finally coming to an end. Set up in 2009 principally to investigate and try the perpetrators of the 2005 bombing in Beirut that resulted in the killing of the former Lebanese prime minister, Rafik Hariri, the UN Special Tribunal for Lebanon is preparing, at last, to issue its decision. The trial itself didn’t … Continue reading “As the UN Tribunal for Lebanon Readies to Issue Its Verdict on Rafik Hariri’s Murder, Hezbollah’s Choices Are Limited”

Labyrinthine Politics in Lebanon Delays Formation of New Cabinet By Hussain Abdul-Hussain - Sep 16, 2018

Lebanon’s prime minister-designate, Saad Hariri, has presented President Michel Aoun with a “cabinet formula,” an allocation of cabinet seats that reflects the size of parliamentary blocs. Aoun, however, turned down the formula, and announced instead his intention to “send a letter” to parliament to ask that it votes on replacing Hariri. If parliament does vote … Continue reading “Labyrinthine Politics in Lebanon Delays Formation of New Cabinet”

Nobody Will Save Lebanon’s Economy if the Lebanese Are Not Worried About Immediate Crisis By Hussain Abdul-Hussain - Aug 16, 2018

The condition of the Lebanese economy “is not sustainable,” said the vice president of the World Bank, Ferid Belhaj, in a statement that shook whatever confidence Lebanon still had left. (But more on that later.) Even though Belhaj opined that he was, nevertheless, “not worried” just yet, he also said the country had been willfully … Continue reading “Nobody Will Save Lebanon’s Economy if the Lebanese Are Not Worried About Immediate Crisis”