Topic: Saudi Coalition

Saudi Arabia has declined to join the US-led Red Sea naval coalition to protect its peace deal with Iran and its exit from the Yemen war. The kingdom's move toward BRICS and local currency oil trading is viewed as a challenge to the long-standing dominance of the US petrodollar.

The Catalan government has set a binding referendum for independence from Spain for October 1st, despite opposition from Madrid. Meanwhile, in Yemen, the Saudi-led coalition continues airstrikes as the country faces a massive cholera epidemic and starvation. The hosts criticize the lack of media coverage regarding the humanitarian disaster in Yemen and the ongoing U.S. support for the conflict.

An examination of the 60-nation coalition against ISIS reveals a wide disparity in actual military contributions. While countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE participate in airstrikes, others provide minimal aid, such as Estonia sending machine gun cartridges and the Netherlands providing 1,000 helmets. The list highlights Germany's contribution of paratroopers for training and the UK's "gift" of weapons, while questioning the inclusion of nations that are only providing small financial donations or humanitarian blankets.

Associated Press reporter Matt Lee and State Department spokesperson Marie Harf engage in a heated exchange regarding the "coalition of the willing" against ISIS. Lee questions the specific contributions of allies like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Germany, while Harf defends the "deliberate and prudent" process of building international support. The hosts characterize their professional relationship as a comedic "odd couple" dynamic.