National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations: Recent Episodes
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On April 30, 2024, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations hosted a discussion on “A U.S.-Yemen Case Study in Safeguarding Antiquities and Cultural Heritage Amidst Conflict.” The program explored successful collaboration in working for the protection and preservation of Yemen’s cultural heritage.
Featured Specialists:
- H.E. Mohammed Al-Hadhrami, Ambassador of The Republic of Yemen to the United States
- Mr. Timothy Lenderking, United States Special Envoy for Yemen
- Ms. Tess Davis, Executive Director of the Antiquities Coalition
- Dr. Jeremie Schiettecatte, Research Fellow at the French National Centre for Scientific Research and Visiting Research Scholar at the New York University Institute for Study of the Ancient World
- Mr. Abderrahim Foukara, Bureau Chief of Al Jazeera Washington, D.C., and host of “Min Washington”
- Mr. H. Delano Roosevelt, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations President and CEO.
The discussion can be viewed on the National Council’s YouTube channel.
On December 14, 2023, the Washington Center for Yemeni Studies and the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations hosted a discussion exploring the India-Middle East-EU trade route against the backdrop of regional conflicts and competing interests in the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The specialists addressed the potential impact of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict on negotiations between the Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia, and the growing Houthi threat to maritime security in the Red Sea. They delved into the potential impact of the recent development on the conflict in Yemen, and the prospects for lasting peace and sustainable development.
Joining the program were:
Featured specialists:
- Mr. Sami Hamdi, Managing Director and Head of Political Risk of the International Interest.
- 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 Attache; HyphenPoint LLC President.
Moderator:
- Ms. Marwa J. Ghumrawi, Operations and Communications Manager of the Washington Center for Yemeni Studies.
The discussion can be viewed on YouTube.
The Washington Center for Yemeni Studies and the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations invite you to:
Geopolitical Crossroads in Yemen: Unraveling Yemen’s Future Amidst Trade Routes and ConflictTune in for a thought-provoking exploration of the India-Middle East-EU trade route and its potential impact on Yemen’s economy. Against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas conflict and maritime threats in the Red Sea, specialists will delve into the regional competition over the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the prospects for lasting peace and sustainable development.
Speakers:
- Sami Hamdi, Managing Director and Head of Political Risk of the International Interest.
- Colonel (Ret.) Abbas K. Dahouk, Member of the Board of Directors of the National Council on U.S. Arab Relations, Founder and President of HyphenPoint LLC.
Moderator:
- Marwa J Ghumrawi, Operations and Communications Manager of the Washington Center for Yemeni Studies.
Key Focus* Implications for Yemen’s Economy * Geopolitical Challenges Unveiled * Prospects for Lasting Peace and Sustainable Development
Date & Time:December 14, 2023, 2:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Virtual Venue:Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/9294347323?omn=97332166419
Meeting ID: 929 434 7323
This is the story of a $20 billion disaster that did not happen.
Last month, while the United Nations General Assembly was meeting in New York City, I attended some programming on the summit’s sidelines together with my colleagues from the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations. Among them were meetings to learn more about the ongoing conflict and crisis in Yemen. While the situation in Yemen remains dire after 8 years of war, there is a recent bright spot for proactive international efforts: the successful operation to offload oil from the decaying Safer storage tanker. This enormous undertaking has prevented what could have been a colossal environmental disaster that exacerbated the situation in Yemen, and wreaked environmental, economic, and humanitarian havoc in the Middle East region.
Located on the southwestern end of the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen is beloved by those familiar with its varied landscapes and its warm, smart, kind, and generous people. It is bordered by the Red Sea to its west and the Gulf of Aden to its south. The Romans called it Arabia Felix—Fortunate (and Fertile) Arabia. In the United States, one is most likely to find Yemen identified with the Queen of Sheba (also known as Bilqīs or Makeda, she is one of the few female figures who appears in sacred texts of all three Abrahamic faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), coffee (Yemenis are believed to be among the first to popularize the beverage), and the port of Aden (one of the most famous hubs in the world, connecting maritime traffic between Africa, Asia, and the Middle East).
Map of Yemen, 2012.
The past decade has seen Yemen embroiled in its fourth civil war in the post-World War II period. Its proximate cause was the response of the Zaidi Shiite-Houthis to the outcome of an all-inclusive National Dialogue Conference, which concluded in 2014. Displeased with the outcome of that political process, the Houthis’ militias, with resources and support from Iran’s government, seized Yemen’s capital of Sana’a in 2015. That subversion of law and order in Yemen touched off a conflict that has resulted in what has been described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
One of the poorest countries in the Arab region even before the most recent stretch of violence, Yemen has been placed in a very precarious situation. Eight years of conflict, compounded by economic collapse, natural disasters, and the COVID-19 pandemic, have taken a toll on Yemenis’ ability to live with the dignity and meaning that all people deserve. The UN reported several months ago that this year “a staggering 21.6 million Yemenis require some form of humanitarian assistance as 80% of the country struggles to put food on the table and access basic services.”
Relief map of Yemen, 2002.
The National Council has a long history of engagement with Yemen through its founding President & CEO Dr. John Duke Anthony. Appreciating the richness of its cultural heritage, its natural beauty, the incisive and joyful qualities of the Yemeni people, and its long history, the Council has taken twenty delegations of American educators to the country, enabled hundreds of U.S. students to live and study Arabic in Sana’a, and sponsored educational programs about Yemen in Washington, D.C. Most recently, the Council partnered with a Yemen-based non-profit foundation dedicated to enhancing youth capabilities toward promoting peace – the Adalah (meaning “Justice” in Arabic) Foundation For Legal Development – to bring the Council’s Youth Leadership Development Model Arab League Program to Mukalla, Hadhramout.
A cooperation agreement between the National Council and Yemen’s Adalah Foundation was executed last year. The two non-profit groups collaborated to bring the National Council’s Youth Leadership Development Program / Model Arab League to Yemen. The program involves an experiential learning exercise where students have the opportunity to practice representing the needs and interests of someone other than themselves during the course of simulating a diplomatic summit.
This month, the National Council underwent a monumental transformation. Dr. Anthony stepped back from his founding, leading role to provide for Mr. H. Delano Roosevelt to take the Council forward as its second President & CEO since the NGO’s 1983 establishment. The grandson of President Franklin Delano and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, he has been serving the organization in various roles for many years and officially “took the reins” on October 1st.
I recently visited Washington to see old friends and, following on from the meetings last month, joined colleagues from the National Council on a visit to the State Department to touch base on the Arab region and Yemen in particular. Among our interests were assessing how recent developments might affect Council educational programming. We met with President Biden’s Special Envoy for Yemen, Mr. Timothy Lenderking, an experienced American diplomat who has been working tirelessly to build a political process to resolve the conflict. Special Envoy Lenderking’s and UN efforts last year led to a truce on the ground, which largely continues to hold. Our Council delegation included Mr. Roosevelt, Chairman of the Board of Directors Mr. John Pratt, Board of Directors Member and HyphenPoint LLC Principal Colonel (Ret.) Abbas Dahouk, Executive Vice President and Director of Development Mr. Patrick Mancino, and Senior Academic and Research Fellow-in-Residence Dr. Fadi Hilani.
The National Council’s delegation at the State Department.
Interestingly, I had actually crossed paths with Mr. Lenderking before! During my time working as Executive Vice President of the Huntsman Cancer Foundation, I had visited the Arabian Peninsula to promote partnerships for cancer research. In working to organize medical research meetings in Saudi Arabia, I had met Mr. Lenderking while he was serving as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy in Riyadh. Then, he was very helpful in assisting our health delegation and seemed to appreciate the value of promoting U.S.-Arab cooperation in global research to explore the causes of cancer at the genetic level. When I saw that years later he had been appointed as the U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen, I knew that the job’s significant expectations would be worked on with fervor by an extraordinarily public servant.
U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking (leftmost) with the National Council’s delegation, which included (from left to right after the Special Envoy) new President & CEO H. Delano Roosevelt, myself, Executive Vice President and Director of Development Patrick Mancino, Senior Academic and Research Fellow-in-Residence Dr. Fadi Hilani, and Board of Directors Member and HyphenPoint LLC Principal Colonel (Ret.) Abbas Dahouk.
Among the most fascinating things we discussed during our meeting was the work done to prevent what could easily have been one of the worst environmental disasters this century. Commentary about foreign policy failures and shortcomings is easy to find; stories about some of the significant accomplishments are not. What has happened with the Safer oil storage vessel – where an environmental, economic, and humanitarian catastrophe was averted – is something to celebrate.
The FSO Safer is an oil tanker moored off the coast of Yemen in the Red Sea as a floating storage vessel for Yemen’s inland oil fields around Marib. Built in Japan and launched in 1976, the ship was purchased by the Yemeni state-run oil company in 1987 to provided services for Yemen’s energy sector. Parked a little more than 4 miles off the coast, it has the capacity to hold approximately 3 million barrels of oil.
The Safer is moored approximately 4 miles off the coast of Yemen in the Red Sea. Photo: United Nations.
In 2015, access to the storage tanker came under the control of Houthi militias. The ship was neglected and fell into disrepair while 1.1 million barrels of crude oil sat inside its decaying structure floating in the Red Sea. For years, the decrepit vessel, at risk of leaking, breaking apart, or exploding, has constituted a significant danger to the region. The amount of oil sitting in the Safer was four times the amount that was released in the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill.
The Safer posed the risk of an environmental disaster with calamitous effects. Scientists, diplomats, and humanitarian aid coordinators observed that its tank rupturing could not only pollute Red Sea coastlines, but also have far-reaching implications for access to food and water for millions and even disrupt the global movement of goods. Cleanup alone from such a disaster was estimated to cost more than $20 billion and much of the damage would not be recoverable.
The Safer was at risk of creating an environmental disaster. Photo: U.S. Department of State.
A broad international coalition, including the United States through the office of the Special Envoy for Yemen, came together to address the danger. For the past two years, the effort has been led by UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen Mr. David Gressly. The coalition has confronted challenges both technical and diplomatic as it worked to diffuse what was literally termed a ticking bomb. On August 11, 2023, after delicate negotiations and logistical wizardry, the UN announced that it had successfully removed as much crude oil from the tanker as was possible. Imminent disaster had been averted.
The transfer of oil from the Safer to a replacement vessel began on July 25, 2023, and concluded on August 11. It was a complex operation as salvage crews worked for 18 days amid strong currents and summer heat navigating along the coast of a conflict zone containing sea mines. Photo: United Nations.
The full operation to deal with the Safer is not yet complete. Work is ongoing to make the Safer’s replacement vessel safe and secure, and to move the Safer to a shipyard for scrapping. In our meeting, we learned that there remained a funding shortfall of more than $20 million to address remaining environmental threats. I am told that GoFundMe pages have been created by children across the globe to help remove the tanker to its final resting place, and there is a crowd funding webpage and UN platforms.
In thinking back on our meeting and the story of the Safer, I am struck by the impressive work of the diplomats and aid workers who, away from the public eye, prevented something horrible from happening. They are unsung heroes and heroines. Witnessing American and global diplomacy succeed in proactively addressing a significant danger inspires me and should inspire us all.
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.
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” […]
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 […]
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 […]
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?” 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 […]
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, King Salman Humanitarian Aid & Relief Centre; Advisor, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Royal Court; and Former Minister of Health, […]
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)
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 […]
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On June 29, 2015, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations and the U.S.-GCC Corporate Cooperation Committee hosted a public affairs briefing on “Yemen in Crisis: What Next?” in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC. Featured specialists included Dr. Noel Brehony, Chair, Menas Associates, Former Chair, British Yemeni Society, and Author, Yemen Divided: The Story of […]
On June 29, 2015, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations and the U.S.-GCC Corporate Cooperation Committee are hosting a public affairs briefing on “Yemen in Crisis: What Next?“ The featured specialists include Dr. Noel Brehony, Chair, Menas Associates; Former Chair, British Yemeni Society; Author, Yemen Divided: The Story of a Failed State in South Arabia; Ms. Sama’a […]
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