Saudi Arabia Backing Away From Bushco

      The Saudis are returning to their true form it would seem.

New York Times

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, March 28 — King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia told Arab leaders on Wednesday that the American occupation of Iraq was illegal and warned that unless Arab governments settled their differences, foreign powers like the United States would continue to dictate the region’s politics.

The king’s speech, at the opening of the Arab League meeting here, underscored growing differences between Saudi Arabia and the Bush administration as the Saudis take on a greater leadership role in the Middle East, partly at American urging.

The Saudis seem to be emphasizing that they will not be beholden to the policies of their longtime ally.

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       Douglas Farah makes note that

Saudi Arabia has recently reasserted itself by brokering the Fatah-Hamas, hosting the Iranian president and threatening to arm the Sunni insurgents in Iraq.

This seems to me to be a reversion to true Saudi form, as their hearts have never been in the U.S.-led, sporadic efforts to encourage confrontation with jihadists and the wahhabi clergy. The governing system is simply too intertwined with the wahhabist stream of insular, aggressive and violent Islam to make a break and survive.

Saudi Arabia has also apparently moved to rehabilitate even the few terrorist financiers it agreed to designate, notably Wael Julaidan, an al Qaeda founder. He is apparently now under no restrictions at all, and is free to work, speak and write as he sees fit.

 

Saudi Arabia Iraq U.S. Bush administration  King Abdullah