#5 The Sauds can only blame themselves since Crown Prince and FM blamed Yanbu shootings on Zionists.
For me, as a former expat there, Yanbu was a watershed for two reasons. 1) Saudi employees walking into an offfice and firing away means that the days of benign spite many Saudis felt toward expats is gone. We can't rely anymore on the wind-wink see-no-evil policy that goes all the way back to FDR. All Western and other 1st world Kuffur were at least allowed to live in peace at long as they were very discreet in matters of liquor, babes, and going to church. Our living on compounds was as much for their sensiblitiis as ours. See? Wink, we know but don't drive drunk or somebody's going to lose his job. Protocol understood.
2) Their audacity in blaming Zionists. Abdullah and Feisal had normally been cooperative over the years in areas where we and they had mutual interests. For example, the number of American-built SUV's driven there and Boeing aircraft, both military and commercial, flown reveals a staggering amount of billions, cash on the barrel head for the most part, the Saudis have been willing to spray on the US economy, which has meant several tens of thousands of jobs for the US in the INDUSTRIAL sector for the past 3 decades. To our benefit. What about the thousands of Americans who owe their lucrative retirements to decades of working in the Magic Kingdom? Personal safety or getting hassled by the Mutawa was never really an onerous burden for me and family since we din't go looking for trouble. All this despite what you hear from Sunday morning pundits, 99% of whom really know nothing about how the place works. I am still confused in understanding what goes on there despite the 9 years spent; how can they pontificate without ever being there unless escorted by a Ministry of Interior press liason who lines up all the "right" people to be interviewed. Mo Dowd and Ed Bradley come to mind as journos who spout about the place, but don't know a damn thing about it. I'm digressing.
Thus, my initial hesitancy in blaming the SAG for 9/11. Yeah, SAG was asleep at the wheel but so were we. However, 2 1/2 years has been enough time for the SAG and its security apparatus to put be helpful, and they haven't. Princes are living in fantasy land. They don't have the brains to know that the Internet will tell us what they say in Arabic to their press? Stupid or naive, whatever may be the cause, the results are before us. I've come to the conclusion that there is nobody reliable there, unlike the old days, to be counted on to keep tenuous US/SAG relationships on an even keel.
Actions now have to speak louder than words. W should show there is a new order by requesting the Saudi ambassador, Bandar, to be replaced. I don't care if Laura, Mrs. Powell and the rest of the DC wives are pals with Mrs. Bandar. Don't worry W, he won't be on unemployment insurance payment for long. If that isn't possible, light a fire under him by being ruthless with border infiltrations, and above all, don't invite him to the WH or Crawford. He laughs behind your back since he's got a cabal of DOS ex-diplomats at his beck and call to spout on TV and follow the appeasement line that has been lucrative for these guys from their first day at State to retirement.
So investigate, boys. Upset the apple cart and let the chips fall where they may.
P.S. Notice I haven't used the word "oil" once here. The situation goes much more beyond that. |