U.S. Struggles to Explain Alliance With Saudis

[Purveyor]

Source: New York Times

By DAVID E. SANGERJAN. 4, 2016

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration on Monday confronted the fundamental contradiction in its increasingly tense relationship with Saudi Arabia. It could not bring itself, at least in public, to condemn the execution of a dissident cleric who challenged the royal family, for fear of undermining the fragile Saudi leadership that it desperately needs in fighting the Islamic State and ending the conflict in Syria.

The United States has usually looked the other way or issued carefully calibrated warnings in human rights reports as the Saudi royal family cracked down on dissent and free speech and allowed its elite to fund Islamic extremists. In return, Saudi Arabia became America’s most dependable filling station, a regular supplier of intelligence, and a valuable counterweight to Iran.

For years it was oil that provided the glue for a relationship between two nations that share few common values.

Today, with American oil production surging and the Saudi leadership fractured, the mutual dependency that goes back to the early 1930s, with the first American investment in the kingdom’s oil fields, no longer binds the nations as it once did.





Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/05/us/politics/us-struggles-to-explain-alliance-with-saudis.html?_r=0

[GitRDun]

1. Sadly, we are a culture of cowards eom

[47of74]

3. I wish we had listened to George Washington...

I think the world wouldn't be quite so far up shit creek if we had followed some of his advice regarding foreign relations;

Nothing is more essential, than that permanent, inveterate antipathies against particular Nations, and passionate attachments for others, should be excluded; and that, in place of them, just and amicable feelings towards all should be cultivated. The Nation, which indulges towards another an habitual hatred, or an habitual fondness, is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest. Antipathy in one nation against another disposes each more readily to offer insult and injury, to lay hold of slight causes of umbrage, and to be haughty and intractable, when accidental or trifling occasions of dispute occur. Hence frequent collisions, obstinate, envenomed, and bloody contests.

[snagglepuss]

12. Quite the observtion. Absolutely bang on. nt

[karynnj]

7. I don't see it as cowardice, but trying to balance the need to involve SA in any effort to calm

down the violence in Syria and obviously, Yemen with the fact that they are an intolerant, country that really offends most of our values.

However, it is entirely possible that the timing - that is seen as unfortunate - when there was a long shot effort to get a diplomatic solution to get a ceasefire in Syria might in fact have been motivated to blow up that hope. It may be that SA which has pushed the US to be more aggressive there for years considers that a diplomatic solution is not likely to result in SA friendly country. Not to mention - it could make Iran stronger.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

2. We have some Saudis working here,

They all say the Saudi Royal Family is prepared to chop off as many heads as necessary to keep the most radical elements of Saudi society satisfied with the status quo and from succumbing to the charms of ISIS.

[SansACause]

4. Gosh, I hope they don't fly airplanes into our buildings.

Because if they did that again, we'd have to attack Iraq.

[TrollBuster9090]

6. You win!

[safeinOhio]

17. +1,000

Not like Iran won't need nucs to defend themselves from all those weapons SA got from us. SA spawned OBL and ISSI.

[TrollBuster9090]

5. Remove oil from the picture, and there is absolutely no way the USA COULD explain its aliance with

the Saudis.

They practice the most extreme form of radical islam, Wahhabism, fund anti-western madrasas all over the world which teach muslim children to want to destroy America. 15 out of 18 of the 9-11 hijackers were Saudis, most of the foreign fighters in Afghanistan, Iraq, and now Syria are Saudis, Bin Laden was a Saudi. All of the warhawk B.S. rhetoric used to justify regime change in Iraq and Syria goes DOUBLE for Saudi Arabia. If it wasn't for the multinational oil industry A) needing Saudi oil, and B) owning Congress, Saudi Arabia would probably be America's number one "enemy" in the "war" on islamic terrorism.

Iran, on the other hand, is full of secular, sophisticated, pro-western young people who are ready to dump their theocratic government the first realistic chance they get. After the 9-11 attacks, the only spontaneous, pro-USA candlelight vigil in the middle east was held in Tehran, while people were celebrating in Riyadh.

And yet, I have no doubt that if it comes to a direct conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran, we'll faithfully back Saudi Arabia over Iran, despite the fact that half the people in Saudi Arabia wish the USA were destroyed, and half the people in Iran with they could JOIN the USA.

Still, I'm optimistic that Obama may be the only U.S. President ever in a position to pull us out of this Faustian bargain with Saudi Arabia.

[gvstn]

11. +1

No, plus 1000.

No, plus 1,000,000

Iran has been ready to make a change for years.

[Duppers]

13. Beat me to it. nt

[TrollBuster9090]

15. Exactly. And Republicans have been trying to goad the USA into a war with Iran for years, because..

because that would drive the Iranian people, who are just about ready to DUMP the Iranian theocracy, back into supporting them again, and thus perpetuate the fear doctrine that they've benefited from for so many years. If the USA stops hating, fearing, and wanting to destroy Iran and Cuba, and re-negotiates the stupid 'wag the dog' relationship it has with Israel and Saudi Arabia, you've eliminated about half the reasons why anybody would ever want to vote Republican. I don't blame them for desperately trying to prevent that from happening.

[gvstn]

16. Fuck the Saudis

They are just rich enabled plutocrats

Israel should just get a grip and make peace. I don't care what the bible says, just give over some land and stop the killing. Enough of this already. Get a grip!

[blackspade]

8. There is no good explaination.

The Saudis know we need them so they do whatever the fuck they want.

[roamer65]

9. Too bad we couldn't cut through the theocratic bullshit in Iran.

The Iranian people have more in common with the USA, than the Wahhabi nutjobs in the KSA.

A bold move for Obama would be to get on a plane and fly to Tehran like Sadat flew to Jerusalem.

The Iranians would welcome him with open arms.

[safeinOhio]

18. A look at the history of Iran

and you can see why they don't like or trust us. We helped dump a popular Democratically elected President and installed a hated dictator, the Shah.

[gvstn]

10. From what I hear/read.

The Royal family is cutting off hands for jerking off while they watch internet porn all day. Hypocrisy much?

I have no love for the Saudis unlike our government which turns a blind eye to them and their actions.

How is their executing by decapitation any worse than ISAL? Disgusting that we defend them!

[burrowowl]

14. The Saudis and

9-11?

[CJCRANE]

19. They're richer than Croesus

and as a result they own most of our politicians.

[Nihil]

20. No struggle, it is simply the well-known hypocrisy that permeates all of their actions.

Supporting Saudi Arabia despite all of their crimes against humanity.

Supporting Israel despite all of their crimes against humanity.

Supporting "regime change" in dozens of countries.

Having two levels of justice for American citizens depending on whether they are rich or poor.

Having two levels of policing for American citizens depending on whether they are white or non-white.

It's just the everyday way in the USA ...

[Gregorian]

21. The function of the president is to do the Pentagon's bidding.

Our economy is military in nature, and we have great ambition in shaping the world to our desire.

There's your fucking answer. It's why I didn't go to Vietnam, and it's why I didn't buy the Iraq war hype.