Don't forget Saudi Arabia

 

 

 

 

From: Oxsan
Date: 16 Dec 2001
Time: 09:25:39

When you are listing areas that might pose a major terrorist threat to the US don't forget Saudi Arabia. For years we have referred to Saudi Arabia as "our staunchest Near Eastern ally" but that is really not the case. The Saudi Royal Family is our staunchest ally in the Middle East but the rest of Saudi Arabia no longer considers the US an ally but rather an enemy.

When old Abdulazziz ibn Saud fought the Rashid for control of the Arabian Peninsula he sought the support and endorsement of the Wahabbi, an ultra conservative religious faction of Sunni Islam and promised them that he would establish a very conservative Arabian government and that they would have a hand in it. He defeated the Rashid and other dissident tribes and established himself as King Of Saudi Arabia and he kept his promise to the Wahabbi. Even twenty years or more after his death Saudi Arabia was looked upon as a very conservative, even fundamentalist Islamic state as befitted its position as guardian of the sacred places of Mecca and Medina. The Wahabbi were very much involved in the government through the Ulama , or council of religious elders and even played a part in succession to the throne after Abdulazziz's death.

Oil wealth changed all that. The royal family became enormously wealthy and major parts of it became enormously dissolute in lifestyle. Mostly in Geneva, and London, and Paris it became a common sight in the sixties and seventies to see wealthy Saudi princes in the bars, casinos, and bedrooms throwing money around like it was out of style. And there are a huge number of Saudi Princes.

Old Abdulazziz was a popular King both with the common people and the religious leaders. His sons, grandsons and great-grandsons have wasted that popularity. The Saudi Kingdom is not now popular with the Saudi people and does not now express their desires in my opinion. Usama bin Laden is almost as angry at the Saudi Royal Family as he is at the US. He would jump at the chance to foment a popular revolution in Saudi Arabia in my opinion. He is furious at the US in part because we have supported the Royal Family against the nation's wishes and squelched dissent in the country- or rather given the Royal Family the Intelligence to do so.

Consider the following:

1. WTC attack was a Saudi venture. Fifteen of the 19 attackers were Saudi's. and they entered the country on Saudi visas.

2. The famous UBL tape we have seen in the last few days was a meeting of Saudis in Afghanistan. Everyone who has been identified in the tape is a Saudi and the crippled Sheikh was just arrived from Saudi.

3. The purpose of the meeting seemed to be more than anything else to give UBL the news of the reaction of Saudi religious leaders to the WTC attack.

I think that we are between a rock and a hard place in our relations with Saudi Arabia. If we cease to support the Royal Family there may well be a revolution and a strong man inimical to our interests put on the throne. If we continue to support the Royal Family, which is terribly corrupt, the revolution will someday come anyway.

I do not have a solution that is compatible with our interests. Maybe Colin Powell or GWB does, I hope so. But I think Saudi Arabia is a vast boiling social bomb, which someday will go off. I am going to keep my SUV anyway.

Y'all take care of it.