Saudi Media Take the Lead Against Iran's Regime

Washington Institute ^ | June 26, 2009 | David Pollock and Mohammad Yaghi

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Most commentary on the regional reaction to Iran's postelection strife divides Arabs into pro-Iranian and pro-American camps, a simplistic division that misses a key distinction. At the official or semiofficial level, Arab reaction to Iran's current travail is divided into three, not two, main parts: the usual handful of pro-Iranian-government actors (Syria, Hizballah, and Qatar); the surprisingly strident anti-Iranian-government stance from Saudi Arabia; and the large camp of cautious bystanders, including major actors like Egypt, which harbors a serious grudge against Tehran.

Equally noteworthy is that caution, rather than reflexive support for either Iran or the street demonstrators, is also the watchword among major Arab opposition movements, particularly the Muslim Brotherhood and its Hamas offshoot. So far, at the popular level, the dominant feature appears to be -- at least from the outside -- a lack of great activity or even interest, rather than the gathering storm of popular mobilization that some commentators expected.

Saudi-Led Media Charge against Tehran

Apart from Iran's friends in Damascus and Doha, Arab governments have generally avoided direct comment on Iran's internal affairs. Kings, emirs, presidents, and their official representatives have mostly kept silent, endorsing neither Iran's official version of the election nor the popular protests against it. But an analysis of the state-controlled or state-influenced media in these countries, which are much more vocal, is revealing.

The media outlets of Arab actors with axes to grind against Tehran -- such as the Palestinian Authority, Lebanon's March 14 coalition, and most significantly Saudi Arabia -- have replaced the usual taciturn official response with overt schadenfreude and an anti-Iranian-government slant. Newspaper and television coverage from these sources highlight Iranian demonstrations, Basij militia violence, challenges to the authority of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and rifts among Iranian clerics.

[Star Traveler]

Well..., all that is about is the Sunnis against the Shias... LOL...

You know..., sit back, get some popcorn and watch a bunch of Muslims kill another bunch of Muslims and elect another terrorist leader of an oppressive, evil and violent governmental idealogy called Islam...

This should be fun...

[DGHoodini]

Peaceful ov ert protest appealing the conscencelees tyrants gains nothing but breatings, torture and death. The time of street protests is over. It is time for the people of Iran to engage in Jihad against their enslavers.

To help the Iranian people, is to supply them with Sattelite communication sets to bypass the oppressers controls and spyware. It is to aid their organisation by supplying tactical information, and most importantly, to smuggle in arms so that they can defend themselves, and begin to harrass and sabotage those that support the tyrant, and execute the oppressers enforcers. A 2woman can slit the throat of a Basij, as easily as a growing boy. A boy can ade in a car full of Secret Police as easily as a man. A student can fire a shoulder fired rocket at a helicopter or ayatollahs limosine, as easily as a soldier, and slip back imnto the sxhadows... enforcers.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Well..., all that is about is the Sunnis against the Shias... LOL...

I was thinking Persian vs. Arab. The Persians scare the bejeebers out of the Saudis. The absolute last thing they want is a nuclear Iran or a nuclear exchange with Israel, an exchange that may soon widen to include third parties, including the U.S., as a shooter and the Saudis, as a target for both the Israelis and the Persians.

Alternately, if the U.S. stands down the Persian will dominate the Gulf, much to the chagrin of the Saudis.

Saudi elites like their lives, they use Israel as a distraction to divert critism of their corrupt hereditary regime. They have no interest in any Crusades any time soon.

[Costumed Vigilante]

Wake me up when they're both dead.

[Star Traveler]

You said — I was thinking Persian vs. Arab. The Persians scare the bejeebers out of the Saudis.

—

It’s really a Sunni versus Shia thing... Iran representing Shia and Saudi Arabia representing Sunni... that’s what it’s all about — and — one or the other being in *control* of the world, for the “fulfilment” of the *demand* of that evil, oppressive and violent governmental idealogy (called Islam) — and that their adherents of this same evil idealogy carry out this subjugation of the world (and they’ll try to subjugate each other, while they’re at it...).

And these adherents of that evil, oppressive and violent governmental idealogy (called Islam) have been carrying out the demand for the subjugation of the entire world and all other nations under the government of Islam and Sharia law — for 1,400 years, continuously, thus far...

[Star Traveler]

Here are the stats on the breakdown...

Iran —
Muslim 98% (Shia 89%, Sunni 9%)

Saudia Arabia —
Muslim 100% (Shia 5%, Sunni 95%)

There’s your difference between the two...

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

I think the Persians are the true ideologues, the Saudis elites just need something to counter them so they fund the Wahabis. I don’t think they want world domination as much as a quiet life, of which the Mullahs deprive them.

The Shah was convenient as a buffer against the Soviets and his modernizing influence didn’t really threaten them.

[Star Traveler]

Well, it appears to me that it’s the Saudi money that is going into overthrowing this country and funding all the evil, oppressive and violent governmental idealogy (called Islam) that is going on in this country...

It’s not Iranian money in this country...

But, Iranian money is going into eliminating the State of Israel and killing all the Jews. In addition to that, however, there is also a very big component of the Hizbollah here in the U.S. (also funded by the Iranians) which questions what they intend to do in the future, as far as the violent overthrow of the U.S. is concerned.

—

That evil and oppressive governmental idealogy of Islam and the way of implementing it by Sharia law is already making inroads right here in this country. We’re about to see a “takeover” of the U.S. by the evil and oppressive idealogy of the government of Islam (that is aiming for world-wide conquest and has stated that the U.S. is *on its list* to take over...)

And for those people who need some additional facts about what the evil and oppressive governmental idealogy of Islam is doing, look at some of the following.

There’s no question about it... the enemy is *Islam* itself and the evil and oppressive and false idealogy that it perpetrates. Some say the problem is “fascism” (instead of the basic oppressive governmental idealogy of Islam, itself). But, that is to engage in “political correctness” and nothing more... and sidetracks people from the *true enemy* in this war.

In one generation we’ll see, right here in the United States that “Islam” is the enemy and not “fascism”...

Muslim Demographics...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-3X5hIFXYU

and also, this...

Islam: What the West Needs to Know - FULL LENGTH ENGLISH VERSION
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-871902797772997781

and then, looking at this...

“The Third Jihad” (video - abridged version of film)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2271522/posts

—

You can leave Iran to the Muslim devils... LOL...

[Star Traveler]

You said — Wake me up when they’re both dead.

—

Exactly right, let the Muslims kill off the Muslims...

And don’t let one side fool the Americans into thinking that they are for *freedom*.... not if they are an adherent to that evil, oppressive and violent governmental idealogy over there (called Islam, either Sunni or Shia... LOL..)...

[denydenydeny]

This is why things like grandiose “addresses to the Muslim world” are absurd and naive.

There is a Sunni world and a Shia world, and they have very different perspectives.

[Star Traveler]

Yeah, I would gladly help Muslims kill off Muslims. It would keep them busy over there and less occupied over here... LOL...

[SunkenCiv]

At the official or semiofficial level, Arab reaction to Iran's current travail is divided into three, not two, main parts: the usual handful of pro-Iranian-government actors (Syria, Hizballah, and Qatar); the surprisingly strident anti-Iranian-government stance from Saudi Arabia; and the large camp of cautious bystanders, including major actors like Egypt, which harbors a serious grudge against Tehran.

Thanks Ernest.

[Berosus]

Great. Now the Saudis are going to come across as human rights champions, instead of us.

[Teacher317]

It isn’t a contest. It doesn’tmatter who gets it done, aslong as it’s done. It would be far easier for a Muslim nation to take fundamental changes from another Muslim nation. If it’s coming from the US, the odds of success are far lower.

[SunkenCiv]

No harm, no foul. No one was buyin’ us as a human rights champion — just throwing it in our faces when we didn’t back their favorite dictator.