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But what of the Islamic extremists? Saudi Arabia is not our friend

Reader comment on item: Hope for the Middle East [as Palestinians Face Defeat]

Submitted by Byron Smith (United States), May 21, 2002 at 13:38

What 9/11 and subsequent reporting has revealed is that "unofficial" Saudis, with petrodollars, are keen on an Islamic world takeover. Tactically, they've worked with others, such as Hamas, the PA, Islamic Jihad, the PLFP, etc., to keep trouble stirred up in the middle east. As 9/11 showed, trouble has moved not only to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and probably a number of Asian nations below Russia, along with Indonesia, but also into the heart of the west, including Britain, France, Germany, and the US. In the west, a push for a takeover has been accomplished by immigration of Arabs, and the funding for building and maintaining mosques staffed by virulently anti-western imams. Iran remains a tactical ally, as does the secular middle east regines of Syria and Iraq, but these are only tactical alliances.

History has shown that as prospects for peace advance in the middle east, the tactical approach is to foment violence. When the level of violence becomes morally unacceptable to the west, that tactic is shifted back to a "peace process" to regain the moral high ground and lull the west into a false sense of security.

So long as Saudi petrodollars continue to finance radical Islamicists, not only will there be no peace in the middle east, but additionally, America and the West are at risk. Iraq and Syria are important pieces in the tactical maneuver, by providing bases and safe havens for the groups funded by the Saudis but who are sufficiently removed from the Saudis that the dots can't be connected. And of course, the plan is ultimately for an Islamic takeover of Iraq. In such a case, Syria and Jordan fall into line, and Iran is isolated as a minority shia regime. Egypt is forced to follow. Pakistan would also follow.

Thus, one key to forestalling Saudi ambitions is a secular Islamic Iraqi state, similar to Turkey. These protect Jordan, and put pressure on Syria and Iran, and make it easier to keep Afghanistan and Pakistan out from under militant Islamic control. It removes the bases for training and safe havens, leaving Saudi Arabia on its own. A secular Iraq also frees Egypt to act against radical Islamicists, and consequently Kuwait and Bahrain. This situation in turn reduces the threat of oil instability within Saudi Arabia when the kingdom either is forced to accept radical Islamicists controlling the country, or the monarchy falls and replaced by a radical Islamicist government.

The second key is taking action against the radical Islamic imams staffing the mosques being built in the west. Most immigrants are probably simply trying to build a better life, but the mosques become a focal point for recruiting and raising money. Some sort of monitoring is going to be required, but whether this will happen is unclear.
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Reader comments (34) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
2Palestinians' Shoes... [114 words]Katherine WilliamsOct 21, 2002 22:293168
Western Ideology is Harmful in the Middle East [362 words]Mike NargizianMay 27, 2002 02:23485
Response to comment: Two States is Suicide for Both! [17 words]William J. SturmMay 26, 2002 23:30483
As Long As Iran and Iraq Are Players Arafat Won't Be Defeated [283 words]Joe LeviMay 25, 2002 06:41478
1"The more destruction I see, the stronger I get" [221 words]Avi E SmithMay 23, 2002 11:57469
Two States is Suicide for Both! [303 words]Mike NargizianMay 23, 2002 00:42462
Hussein Ibish--Is He For Real? [51 words]Grace M. VogtMay 22, 2002 21:15460
A Different Ratio? [52 words]Boris GalinskyMay 22, 2002 17:33458
Shut Down Resources for Wreaking Terror [47 words]Ella SmithMay 22, 2002 15:20454
Moderate Muslims Must Be Strengthened [41 words]David W. LincolnMay 22, 2002 13:38451
Another Rationale for Palestinian Violence [162 words]Yochanan ben DanielMay 22, 2002 11:32450
Is a Change of Heart Possible? [199 words]David KrossMay 22, 2002 11:13449
I am confused [118 words]Dark PlanetMay 22, 2002 11:02448
Achieving a Palestinian Democracy Should be the US Goal [339 words]Leon SegalMay 22, 2002 10:44446
Sharon Does Not Get the Credit He Deserves [195 words]Ron PollandMay 22, 2002 09:21443
The State Department is Part of the Problem [70 words]Pete GuerrieriMay 22, 2002 04:08438
Hope is eternal! [247 words]William J. SturmMay 22, 2002 02:14436
Who is Condemning the Violence? [182 words]David GerstmanMay 21, 2002 22:07434
Palestinian Terror Will Continue Indefinitely [73 words]Stanley YarkinMay 21, 2002 22:07433
The Head of the Snake [341 words]Stan BeerMay 21, 2002 21:27432
Two Comments [255 words]I BrodskyMay 21, 2002 21:08431
Positive Views [15 words]Tom FoltzMay 21, 2002 21:08430
Economy Holding Up? [148 words]Harriet TarlowMay 21, 2002 20:01427
End of Conflict? [24 words]Jan KarlstroemMay 21, 2002 19:11426
The Real Problem in the Middle East [102 words]Michael RifkinMay 21, 2002 18:08425
3What's the real problem of the Middle East ( the holy lands)? [548 words]Oğuzhan KonezJan 21, 2006 09:08425
Guilty of believing their own rhetoric [138 words]Mark FeldsteinMay 21, 2002 17:25424
I Hope You're Right [96 words]Bruce StevensMay 21, 2002 16:41423
The world's support gives them the sense of moving forward [153 words]Lucy TsirelsonMay 21, 2002 16:06422
Hope? [340 words]Glenn KlotzMay 21, 2002 16:02421
Accelerating Hope [64 words]Steven HessMay 21, 2002 15:33419
Is there really hope? [301 words]Ethan CoreyMay 21, 2002 15:33418
A Useful Analogy to Remember [124 words]Tomer KramerMay 21, 2002 14:46416
But what of the Islamic extremists? Saudi Arabia is not our friend [459 words]Byron SmithMay 21, 2002 13:38415

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