Saudi Arabia: Friend or Foe?

GOPUSA ^ | May 19, 2003 | Bobby Eberle

[Columbine]

Last week, attacks on three separate housing compounds in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia were undertaken by suicide bombers believed to be part of the al Qaeda terror network. The attacks, excluding the suicide bombers, killed twenty-five people including eight Americans. Saudi foreign policy advisor Adel Al-Jubeir was quick to jump on the airwaves to condemn the attacks. Al-Jubeir said, "Our hearts go out to all who have lost loved ones." In a statement, Al-Jubeir also said, "We will fight the terrorists and those who support them, with determination and vigor on all fronts."

Ever since the attacks of September 11, 2001 and President Bush's statement that "you are either with us or you're with the terrorists," the eyes of many Americans have been fixed on Saudi Arabia, and one question continues to be asked: Is Saudi Arabia a friend or a foe?

In a draft report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) titled "Saudi Security and the War on Terrorism," the authors state that Saudi Arabia "does not support international terrorism and has long fought its own battles against internal extremist movements." The authors further state, "King Fahd, Crown Prince Abdullah, the Saudi Foreign Minister, the Saudi Defense Minister, and the Saudi Minister of the Interior, and other leading Saudi officials supported efforts to limit the activities of Islamic extremists and terrorists long before September 11th."

[thegreatbeast]

Gawd, I thought this topic had died a long time ago! This is one of those "standing heads" that appear with a periodicity that should appear on the Periodic table.
The answer is foe, BTW.

[RockBassCreek]

Saudi Arabia is not our friend. The government might not be our sworn enemy but they are triangulated with anti-american wahabbism and al-qaeda. Every now and then they will throw them a bone. They clearly are not trustworthy.

[Ben Bolt]

Foe .

[ChadGore]

Foe

[xJones]

I can't tellif the Saudi Arabia government is it's own friend or foe. The government has pandered to extremists, many of the Saudi royals contibute to terrorist organizations, and yet the bloated House of Saud is going to be destroyed by the ones they've funded.

Weird, one would suspect that the ruling Sauds don't really know what they're doing, they just hope they can keep having their cake and eating it too.

[SengirV]

I third the Foe vote, unless someone posts it first =).

[xJones]

"tellif" = "tell if". Darn lazy typing.

[ladyjane]

We are in Iraq because we finally realized we could not count on Saudi Arabia. We need a base of operations and it is clear that we can't have one in SA. Remember those Princes who were getting bumped off? Probably on our side. Half of the House of Saud is not on our side, the other half needs life insurance.

[Redcloak]

Saudi Arabia: Friend or Foe?

If you have to ask...

[ffusco]

last year in Houston I sold my company Suburban thru the classified ads. A man about 30 y.o. neatly dressed and soft spoken responded to my ad. He identified himself as a Saudi. During the test drive, he was very quiet asking no questions about the truck, its history and care.


He asked me ONE question: Was I a Jew? ( I'm Italian.)
His icy voice dripping with hatred. I said nothing untill I got his cashiers check. I spat on the ground at his feet, turned heel and walked away cursing the p.o.s.


Saudi Arabia is a cesspool of hate like the rest of that region.

[reagan_fanatic]

I would have fought the temptation to part that fellow from a few of his teeth.

[omega4412]

Foe, but we need to get Iraqi oil production up before we go after the Saudis.

[RightWhale]

Glen Beck compares the situation, Palestinians and all to Vietnam. Internal power struggle. Nobody cares about Palestinians, least of all their major allies Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

[ffusco]

Indeed.... I was tested ; )

[stuartcr]

Ask you congressman.

[He Rides A White Horse]

Worse than foe. Smiling face with outstreched hand; other hand behind back holding a dagger.

[He Rides A White Horse]

...that's outstretched hand.