From the Daily Mail article:
"Saudi Arabia's intelligence chief is vowing that the kingdom will make a 'major shift' in relations with the United States to protest perceived American inaction over Syria's civil war as well as recent U.S. overtures to Iran, a source close to Saudi policy said on Tuesday.
Prince Bandar bin Sultan told European diplomats that the United States had failed to act effectively against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, was growing closer to Tehran, and had failed to back Saudi support for Bahrain when it crushed an anti-government revolt in 2011, the source said."
The Saudis are undoubtably useful allies, but we have no business helping them "crush" the rebellion in Bahrain, not do we benefit from acting as their military arm in the Syrian civil war.
"In unusually blunt public remarks, Prince Turki al-Faisal called Obama's policies in Syria 'lamentable' and ridiculed a U.S.-Russian deal to eliminate Assad's chemical weapons. He suggested it was a ruse to let Obama avoid military action in Syria.
'The current charade of international control over Bashar's chemical arsenal would be funny if it were not so blatantly perfidious. And designed not only to give Mr. Obama an opportunity to back down (from military strikes), but also to help Assad to butcher his people,' said Prince Turki, a member of the Saudi royal family and former director of Saudi intelligence."
This is a clear and accurate assessment by the Saudis, but although they are right about it, it is also simply too bad for them that they can't order our military to do their fighting in Syria. If they don't like it that the Iranians control Assad, then they need to invest their own money, and risk the lives of their own people to do something about it.
Finally, if they want to split with us, then that ought to leave us free to deal with their support of terrorism a lot more freely. I have always been amazed that they are such close allies when they support such evil all around the world.
If they want to kick us to the curb, then let the consequences fly, as aggressively as possible.
The Saudis and only the Saudis control the price of oil worldwide because their production capacity allows them to turn the tap on or off...
ReplyDeleteNow that they consider us to be buffoons - which this nation has become - we've suffered yet another loss of national prestige.
Let's list just the Middle East disaster on the Obama/Hillary watch:
DeleteLibya - a dictator who was working with us deposed with military force, and the country left in the control of tribal warlords, some of whom are actively hostile to us.
Egypt - Obama supported the Muslim Brotherhood, an active enemy of the US, in their control of the largest Arab country, and a formerly very valuable ally. Fortunately for us, the more secular population threw the Brothers out of power, but now every one there hates our guts.
Syria - Obama bungled his influence away to the crafty Russians, who now look like the powerbrokers in this part of the world.
And now, Saudi Arabia, which is tossing a longstanding alliance with us that dates back to Franklin Roosevelt. As LL says, the most influential country on the world wide price of oil is now shoving their fist in our face.
A clear record of competence and successful power politics from our administration, that will probably never be equalled.
Don't worry, when another Bush is elected, he will be back swapping spit with King Abdullah Abdullah Mohemmed in no time.
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