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| Middle East |
| Soddies coming to a boil, too? |
| 2002-07-28 |
| Saudi Arabia is teetering on the brink of collapse, fuelling Foreign Office fears of an extremist takeover of one of the West's key allies in the war on terror. Anti-government demonstrations have swept the desert kingdom in the past months in protest at the pro-American stance of the de facto ruler, Prince Abdullah. At the same time, Whitehall officials are concerned that Abdullah could face a palace coup from elements within the royal family sympathetic to al-Qaeda. Abdullah is actually anti-American, in thrall to the wahhabi clerics and a clandestine supporter of al-Qaeda — yet somehow got tarred with the pro-American brush? This is interesting, to say the least... Saudi sources said the Pentagon had recently sponsored a secret conference to look at options if the royal family fell. Like — Hashemite restoration? Or just pick whichever prince is willing to say, "yes, sir!" Demonstrations across the kingdom broke out in March, triggered by a fire in a girls' school in which 14 pupils died after the religious police stopped them escaping. Unrest in the east of the country rapidly escalated into nationwide protests against the royal family that were brutally suppressed by the police. The Observer has obtained secret video footage of the protests smuggled out of the country last week that shows hundreds of Saudis, including women, demonstrating in support of the Palestinians and opposition to the regime. The regime that's been supporting the Paleostinians? I'm so confused... The Foreign Office believes that the failure of Abdullah's recent Middle East peace plan could have terminally undermined his position. Failure leads to the silken cord in the dead of night... The Crown Prince's main rival, Prince Sultan, the Defence Minister, has been vocal in his opposition to Abdullah's pro-Western policy. His brother Prince Naif, head of the Interior Ministry, has led a crackdown on the Saudi media in the wake of the demonstrations to stop any word of them leaking out. Abdullah has even sent his own representative to Washington to counter the influence of the ambassador, Prince Bandar, a son of Prince Sultan. Anti-Abdullah elements within the Saudi government are also thought to have colluded in a wave of bomb attacks on Western targets by Islamic terrorists. The authorities have blamed the attacks on an alleged 'turf war' between Westerners involved in the bootleg alcohol trade and have jailed five Britons, a Canadian and a Belgian for the bombings. But British intelligence sources have confirmed that the attacks were carried out by Islamists linked to al-Qaeda. Here, the rock. There, the hard place. Square in the middle, Abdullah... The tensions between the royal factions will intensify with the death of King Fahd. The condition of the king, in hospital in Switzerland, is 'unstable', doctors said. He's eight years older'n God. He's gonna kick it any time. Prince Sultan wants the throne. Abdullah put his prestige and his dignity on the line with his Mideast Peace Plan© and after a few initial huzzahs he was rewarded by Yasser's temper tantrum in Beirut, the occupation of the West Bank, intensification of tensions, and everything but custard pies. Will he be able to ride it out? Will he veer toward the Islamists? Will he ask for help from the Merkins? Will he say to hell with it and become an Episcopalian? Tune in next week for the continuing story of... Prince of Arabia! |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |