Imperial Majesty (Arab News makes demands of America in return for Saudi 'help'.)

Arab News ^ | November 30, 2003 | Amr Mohammed Al-Faisal

[Kashei64]

Imperial Majesty

I watched, as I am sure did most of you, the little skit set up for President Bush this Thanksgiving in Baghdad.

Gen. Sanchez and Ambassador Bremer hammed it up on stage like they do on late night talk shows, but instead of a dainty starlet trotting in to entertain the troops, accompanied by the inevitable baying and wolf whistles, lo and behold: It was George Bush who trotted in.

He had slunk in under heavy secrecy lest some enterprising Iraqi insurgents lob some donkey-borne rockets freedom’s way and thereby spoil the photo-op.

Then, after two and half “whole” hours, the president slunk back out of Iraq.

We are told that this shabby little sketch was meant to raise the morale of US troops in Iraq. If that is so, then their morale must really have hit rock bottom.

Now, dear readers, you mustn’t laugh at the Americans; remember they are our friends and allies.

Whoever came up with this lame idea (Ms. Condoleezza Rice will know who I mean) should be ashamed of themselves.

Be that as it may (I’ve always wanted to say that), watching this little farce got me thinking that the Americans are really in serious trouble in Iraq.

This may make the idea of tucking their tails between their legs and getting out of Iraq increasingly attractive to them. But that would have terrible consequences for all of us here in this part of the world.

Iraq, having had its physical and political infrastructures destroyed by the Americans, will then be left in a state of total chaos, with civil war as a natural outcome. These civil wars could then drag us all into a series of regional wars for years to come.

Of course the US will not escape unscathed, for the resultant loss of prestige especially to their armed forces will trigger a general emboldening of their global rivals.

The threat of US military action will have lost much of its deterrent effect, seeing as how Iraq is stretching the US military and economy to breaking point.

The Americans must fix the mess they have made of Iraq before they even think of getting out. In this we in Saudi Arabia should help. We must find a way of allowing the Americans a face-saving exit out of Iraq that leaves that country with a stable and representative government and with the necessary funds to begin its economic recovery.

Of course, we must not do anything before the Americas meet certain conditions in advance. “In advance” is the key word here. This US administration is world famous for its mendacity, and generally speaking cold are the shoulders and thin the bellies of those who relied on American appreciation and gratefulness.

The conditions that must be met before we lift a finger to help the Americans get out of Iraq honorably are the following:

• The adoption by the US of Crown Prince Abdullah’s peace plan as the center piece of US policy in the Middle East.

• The halt to the vicious campaign of hatred and lies propagated in the US against Saudi Arabia. Administration officials starting with President Bush himself must spare no occasion to praise Saudi Arabia and inform the American people how lucky they are to have us as allies.

• The release of all Saudis detained in the US or in Guantanmo Bay into Saudi custody.

This list is by no means exhaustive, and other things may be added. Once these conditions are met, we should spare no effort to help the Americans get out of the Iraqi quagmire.

We should do this for our own and the region’s interest, capitalizing on the current administration’s weakness.

[trek]

Enough with the Saudi bashing! At least they want to help. And the Saudi Arabs can be a big help in defeating Al Qaeda just like they were in defeating the Soviet Union. The Saudis are a proud and independent people. If an editorial like that is helpful to the pro-western faction in building support for the war in Iraq then so be it! It represents the kind of raucous debate that can lead to a free press.

There are dangerous factions in Saudi. For goodness sake. We don't want a repeat of the Carter disaster in Iran. We should be doing everything we can to help the Saudi Arabs avoid catastrophe. This is in everybody's best interest.

[Joe Bonforte]

Do you mean I have to keep the title of the article as the title of the post?

Yes, that is the accepted convention. That way it's possible to find previous postings of the article. This article, for example, was posted here earlier today. A search for "Imperial" or "Majesty" will find it.

[vladog]

I've got some 'help' for the Saudis. They tested that 'help' in Florida not long ago.

[Bobby777]

Oh please. Saudi Arabia IS Islam. Any deal with America is a deal of convenience. Their intent is the same as the others. Wipe Israel off the face of the Earth. "First the Saturday people and then the Sunday people". It's not a coincidence that the home to 15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers is home to Mecca and Medina.

In the wake of 9/11 you speak of "Saudi bashing". Sheesh

[PeoplesRepublicOfWashington]

Looks like we'll get no help from these ragheads.

[Faraday]

It's good this rag-headed camel jockey has learned to use irony in his writing. (The Brits probably taught him.) When his culture collapses under the weight events resulting from the liberation of Iraq, SA will need a world weary commentator. But how these morons don't yet understand that Bush "says what he means, and means what he says," is beyond me. We are slaughtering a generation of terrorists in Iraq. Victory: the smell of burning Wahabbis in the morning.

[Bobby777]

ping to thread ...

[Bobby777]

We are told that this shabby little sketch was meant to raise the morale of US troops in Iraq. If that is so, then their morale must really have hit rock bottom.

Now, dear readers, you mustn’t laugh at the Americans; remember they are our friends and allies.

Whoever came up with this lame idea (Ms. Condoleezza Rice will know who I mean) should be ashamed of themselves.

Be that as it may (I’ve always wanted to say that), watching this little farce got me thinking that the Americans are really in serious trouble in Iraq.

ungrateful bastards ... as stated by another poster, we shoulda let Saddam have them ... our boys and girls shed their blood, gave their lives to protect these ungrateful bastards ... and our tax dollars supported and protected them ...

[PokeyJoe]

What do you think of a new WARNING label type.

"BARF ALERT" applies to democRAT progressive socialist left wing radical rants.

"ISLAMINAZI ALERT" applies to delusional, paranoid, Islamic jihadist militant, anti-american rants.

maybe call it "JIHADIST ALERT"

[playball0]

We no longer need Saudi help. However, after we take care of Iraq & Iran, we will be able to dictate Saudi governmental reform initiatives.

[Bobby777]

take care of Saudi Arabia first ... they initiated the 9/11 attack ... and their people knew ... that'll wake Iran up ...

[Bobby777]

and all we have to do is have the troops go south out of Iraq ...

[ImpBill]

Dear Amr Mohammed Al-Faisal:

Keep up the talk. Perhaps you will be able to move Saudia Arabia up in front of Iran and Syria in this WOI. There are still many Americans who don't understand the totality of this war or are willing to accept it. Comments like yours are appreciated as they will convince more and more of my fellow citizens of the exact nature and breadth of this war.

[Alouette]

So the Royal Family is dictating the terms of surrender? When Madina is a lake of molten glass they will be glad to accept any terms of surrender that we might dictate. If not, we can always turn Mecca into a lake of molten glass.

[Cindy]

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Now, dear readers, you mustn’t laugh at the Americans; remember they are our friends and allies."

REALLY??!!

[trek]

Don't be naive! The Saudi Arabs are not a monolithic block of crazed Al Qaeda militants! Use your head man! If that were true how do you explain the successful collaboration between the US and Saudi Arabia going all the way back to the founding of their nation?

Of course there are dangerous islamists in the country. Primarily in the South and East. But there are also pro-western elements. We share mutual deadly enemies with these elements both inside and outside Saudi Arabia (e.g. Iran).

If we are going to win the war with the islamo-fascists then Americans are going to have to develop a little nuance about the moslem world. For goodness sake they are not all even Arabs. The biggest danger, Iran, is a bitter foe of the Saudi Arabs and they are neither Arab nor Sunni moslem.

I expect the left to attack in knee-jerk fashion America's potential allies. I have much higher hopes for the right. And higher expectations yet for informed folks like the Freepers.

[Bobby777]

Sorry. 2800+ dead Americans and their families will disagree with you every day. The Saudis showed their true colors in the aftermath with their "prince" and his $10-million-dollar-if-you-hadn't-supported-the-Jews-this-wouldn't-have-happened ...

I am using my head ... and I DO KNOW who the enemy is ... and no Colin Powell-spin on the situation is ever going to change the facts ... Saudi Arabia is a big part of the problem ... if you think you can have truce with Islam and let them invade you haven't paid attention to the Sudan ... to Algeria ... to Afghanistan ... to Saudi Arabia where no Jewish Synagogue or Christian Church is allowed ... where it is officially the death penalty to covert to other than Islam ...

yeah, I don't understand this at all ... not

[Bobby777]

America's potential allies

"America's allies" as you call them financed September 11 ... FReepers know ... the FBI knows ... the whole Justice Department knows it ... we have several hundred dead American soliders from the 1991 war where we SAVED SAUDI ARABIA ... they paid us back with 9/11 ...

that's a pretty clear essay on these "allies" ... and yet you bring this Colin Powell spin on their article ... towards what end?

[Bobby777]

America had more reason to strike against Saudi Arabia than any other country in the aftermath of 9/11. Nothing wrong with bombing the terror camps in Afghanistan but Saudi money trails have popped up again and again. Now I wonder why? ... it's pretty obvious ...

[Let's Roll]

This should have been posted in humor.