Saudi Arabia Isn't America's Friend

[Janelle2002 3,865]

MIDDLE EAST Saudi Arabia Isn't America's Friend577 MAR 26, 2014 3:31 PM ET

By The Editors

U.S. President Barack Obama is scheduled to meet with Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah tomorrow, and the president's critics have beensounding a warning: By parting with the Saudis on Egypt, Syria and Iran, they say, his administration is endangering a vital alliance. The truth is, the relationship with Saudi Arabia is overdue for a recalibration.

The U.S. and Saudi Arabia still have common interests -- in fighting terrorism, for example -- and Saudi Arabia's oil wealth means it will hold disproportionate sway in Washington for years to come. But neither Obama nor his critics (nor, for that matter, Saudis themselves) should kid themselves. Saudi Arabia is not a natural ally of the U.S., and probably never has been.

The current landscape puts in stark relief just how anomalous the relationship is. When the Saudis look around the region, they see rebellions that unseated autocrats, like them, in Tunisia and Egypt. The U.S. generally welcomed these developments. Meanwhile, the one uprising that Saudi's Sunni royalty supports -- in Syria, against Syria's non-Sunni dictator -- is failing, and the Saudis resent the U.S. for not intervening decisively.

On Iran, the Americans and Saudis stood together when the country's government was led by the pugnacious Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. President Hassan Rouhani's election, however, created an opening for a diplomatic resolution to the dispute over Iran's nuclear program, splitting U.S. and Saudi interests. The U.S. wants the talks to succeed to avoid a war with Iran. The Saudis hope they fail so its Shiite archrival will remain the subject of sanctions if not attacks.

By complaining that Obama turned his back on Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak after Egyptians rose up against him, Saudi leaders betray both an exaggerated sense of U.S. influence and an unwillingness to consider what democratic reforms they might make to avoid Mubarak's fate. Might they consider, for example, allowing national elections? How about peaceful demonstrations? How about giving women equal rights to men?

For decades, Saudi rulers have been able to rely on their oil wealth both to pacify their population and smooth their relationship with the U.S. This tool, however, is not what it used to be. Increasing internal demand means the Saudis have less oil to sell abroad. And the U.S., by importing more crude from sources such as Canada and Mexico and exploiting its own shale oil reserves, has reduced its reliance on Saudi oil.

None of this is to argue that the U.S. and Saudi Arabia have nothing in common. It is in U.S. interests for the Saudis to continue supplying oil to U.S. allies that need it, and for the Saudis to use their spare production capacity to keep prices stable. For their part, the Saudis have to sell oil to someone, as oil revenue supports 80 percent of their budget, and keeping prices reasonable discourages investments in shale oil and alternative energy sources.

The two countries also share a strong interest in combating terrorism, particularly by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the most serious terrorist threat to both. It benefits neither to scale back their close counterterrorism cooperation, which includes U.S. drone operations out of a base in Saudi Arabia.

The U.S.-Saudi relationship is one the region's oldest, and has astoried past. Obama and Abdullah can be expected to celebrate that history at their meeting. The future of the partnership, however, will require a realistic accounting of their mutual and divergent goals.

To contact the senior editor responsible for Bloomberg View's editorials: David Shipley at davidshipley@bloomberg.net.

http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-03-26/saudi-arabia-isn-t-america-s-friend?cmpid=yhoo

[luckytxn 2,264]

Obama pull out every base and troops from the mideast region and bring them home is when I think he may have some balls. He talks a good game. We need the people involved in this to settle their differences how they see fit. Why are we there?

[Janelle2002 3,865]

Obama pull out every base and troops from the mideast region and bring them home is when I think he may have some balls. He talks a good game. We need the people involved in this to settle their differences how they see fit. Why are we there?

You don't think we need bases in that region for strategic purposes?

And what will all of these military people and their families do in the U.S.?

[luckytxn 2,264]

No we don't.

They can do what I did. Stand down and move on.

You don't think we need bases in that region for strategic purposes?

And what will all of these military people and their families do in the U.S.?

[spookyturtle 9,466]

And what will all of these military people and their families do in the U.S.?

Line up at the Mexican border and completely stop the flow of illegal immigrants.

[Boiler 45,651]

I was thinking of this, there is an easier way, just sell Licenses like they do for Big Game, make money, solve problem. You could divide the Border area into zones, I think demand would be high, probably end up needing preference points and a bag limit.

It would be the American way.

[novedsac 355]

And what will all of these military people and their families do in the U.S.?

I don't believe any US Bases in the Middle East provide permanent family housing and support services.

Most of the personnel rotate on duty from stateside bases which is where they reside.

Presumably, their families will continue to do as they have been doing and returning service personnel will get new orders.

So, what's the point of the question?

[catdog 1]

Check to see if your name is on the list. I had to change mine. I used to be Akbar Zeb. Now I am Dà de yīnjīng.

http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/saudi-arabia/saudi-arabia-bans-50-baby-names-1.1303898

It's the culture right ? Riiiiight LOL

[Janelle2002 3,865]

I don't believe any US Bases in the Middle East provide permanent family housing and support services.

Most of the personnel rotate on duty from stateside bases which is where they reside.

Presumably, their families will continue to do as they have been doing and returning service personnel will get new orders.

So, what's the point of the question?

It was just a question since he replied bring the people home. I am unsure of how many military personnel have family abroad. Of course I know they don't have their families in Iraq or Afghanistan. I wanted to hear his opinion.

Check to see if your name is on the list. I had to change mine. I used to be Akbar Zeb. Now I am Dà de yīnjīng.

http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/saudi-arabia/saudi-arabia-bans-50-baby-names-1.1303898

It's the culture right ? Riiiiight LOL

My name is not on there. By I don't understand why they are banning names. This would be important if they were all American names.

[catdog 1]

This diplomat can't return home because of Falafel.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/27/politics/obama-saudi-gay/index.html

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Are you obsessed with falafel because it resembles testicles?

[catdog 1]

Are you obsessed with falafel because it resembles testicles?

Nope. It's code. see if you can figure it out.

Hint; falafel eaters usually treat women badly and hate others that don't eat falafel.

[Janelle2002 3,865]

You do realize this is not just a Middle Eastern or Muslim thing, right?

Sri Lanka is not a Middle Eastern country and has a very small Muslim population.

Criminal law

Article 365A prohibits anyone, irrespective of gender, engaging in "gross indecency", which is not explicitly defined, although stiffer sanctions apply if one person is under the age of 16 or if any sort of injury was caused as a result. In 1995 the criminal law was amended to expressly prohibit "gross indecency" no matter the gender of the participants.

LKA102743.E

Sri Lanka: Laws proscribing homosexual acts and whether they are applied in practice; the treatment of homosexuals by authorities, by society at large and by the Muslim community Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Nope. It's code. see if you can figure it out.

Hint; falafel eaters usually treat women badly and hate others that don't eat falafel.

Right, gay men with gynophobia.

[mota bhai 2,675]

Nope. It's code. see if you can figure it out.

Hint; falafel eaters usually treat women badly and hate others that don't eat falafel.

You should google falafel.