Middle East Focus: Al-Saud as Arab Policemen? Correlation between Love and Oil Prices……..

Arabia Deserta

Al-Saud as Arab Policemen? Correlation between Love and Oil Prices……..

Rattlesnake Ridge

BFF
“Can't buy me love, love
Can't buy me love
I'll buy you a diamond ring my friend if it makes you feel alright
I'll get you anything my friend if it makes you feel alright
'Cause I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love…….” The Beatles

“Such remarks are based more on wishful thinking than fact, but Iran’s efforts to destabilize its neighbors are tireless. As Riyadh fights a cold war with Tehran, Washington has shown itself in recent months to be an unwilling and unreliable partner against this threat. The emerging political reality is a Saudi-led Arab world facing off against the aggression of Iran and its non-state proxies. Saudi Arabia will not allow the political unrest in the region to destabilize the Arab monarchies — the Gulf states, Jordan and Morocco. In Yemen, the Saudis are insisting on an orderly transition of power and a dignified exit for President Ali Abdullah Saleh (a courtesy that was not extended to Hosni Mubarak, despite the former Egyptian president’s many years as a strong U.S. ally). To facilitate this handover, Riyadh is leading a diplomatic effort under the auspices of the six-country Gulf Cooperation Council. In Iraq, the Saudi government will continue to pursue a hard-line stance against the Maliki government, which it regards as little more than an Iranian puppet. In Lebanon, Saudi Arabia will act to check the growth of Hezbollah and to ensure that this Iranian proxy does not dominate the country’s political life. Regarding the widespread upheaval in Syria, the Saudis will work to ensure that any potential transition to a post-Assad era is as peaceful and as free of Iranian meddling as possible………”

He says “The emerging political reality is a Saudi-led Arab world…..".
This writer for the al-Saud is unaware that the recent Arab revolutions are ringing in the death of the era of Saudi domination of Arab politics. That era started some thirty years ago and was consolidated with the rise in petroleum prices (any alliance with and “love” for the al-Saud always correlate positively with oil prices).
This guy was advising the Saudi embassy in Washington some years ago. Until he wrote another Washington Post Op-Ed that the Saudi regime would support Iraq’s Sunni minority to regain power. He was promptly demoted: not because of the idea, but because of saying it publicly at a time of sectarian turmoil in Iraq. And because it was going against US policy of reconciliation in Iraq. Apparently they still deem a regime led by representatives of a majority of Iraqis not acceptable to the al-Saud absolute tribal princes. As for the Saudi-Iranian cold war, that is a natural thing among regional powers: the Saudis have their own al-Saud family interests to protect just as the Iranian mullahs have the interests of their theocracy to protect.

The Saudis have the money and the hardware: what they don’t have is the muscle, the numbers, and 'true' friends. Hence the reach toward Jordan and Morocco. There may be some drawbacks, though, to this extended GCC. The Hashemites of Jordan ruled the Hejaz area (Mecca, Madinah, Jeddah) until some eighty years ago when the al-Saud invaded and annexed it. They still have aspirations to their native homeland: their roots are in Hejaz, while the al-Saud are from Nejd. The Hashemites have not forgotten their homeland of Hejaz and its holy places, that they ruled it for centuries. Some probably still think that by right King Abdul of Jordan should be called Custodian of the Two Holy Shrines. As for Morocco: their king also likes to be known as Ameer al-Mumineen and the last guy to hold that title was the last Ottoman monarch.
Cheers
mhg

m.h.ghuloum@gmail.com