I think Pat Lang is right on this:
Joe Klein of Time magazine said today on the Chris Matthews show that Cheney was "summoned" to Riyadh. There has been a lot of talk about the vice president's trip to Saudi Arabia. The White House has wanted it to be believed that Cheney went about the Middle East "lining up" the Sunni leaders to support the Zelikow plan for further empowerment of the Shia Arabs against the Sunni Arab insurgents in Iraq. Klein, who is generally well informed about such matters, says that the opposite is true, that in fact King Abdullah summoned Cheney to Riyadh to tell him in person that such a policy "might" force the Saudi government to give all possible assistance to the Sunni Arab population in defending itself. That means the insurgents. Now, that sounds like the truth. The Saudi ambassador denies this scenario, but, he would, wouldn't he? He also says the Obeid op/ed last week which threatened covert Saudi intervention had nothing to do with the Saudi government. Anyone who is familiar with the way the Saudis "operate" knows how unlikely that is.
John,
Forgive me for taking a Kremlinological bent here but, can the White House really be so stupid as to piss off the Saudis? Long standing relationships between the families and all that.
Posted by: tim302 | December 03, 2006 at 08:26 PM
As soon as the US moved away from supporting the status quo in the ME, it lost Saudi Arabia.
Posted by: John Robb | December 04, 2006 at 10:32 AM
"As soon as the US moved away form supporting the status quo in the ME, it lost Saudi Arabia"
I am not sure we have lost KSA yet. Considering the amount of resources it has inside the USA, it would seem to me we will know when we have "lost" the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. While there are some caling for the US to turn Iraq over to the Shia majority, http://www.tdaxp.com/juan_cole/ , we have not done so. It might be because of these resources, but then who knows.
Have you got any information on the movement of Saudi resources out of the USA? Or do you think they will keep supporting our economy (because of no other choice or best return on their dollar) even if we have lost them for real. Do you think Bush will still get his Christmas gift from uncle Bandor?
Posted by: Larry Dunbar | December 05, 2006 at 02:08 PM
Larry, most of Saudi money is in personal fortunes (and not the state). That money has been shifting to Europe for the last two years.
Posted by: John Robb | December 05, 2006 at 02:31 PM