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A briefing given to a top committee advising the Pentagon in July describes Saudi Arabia as "the kernel of evil, the prime mover, the most dangerous opponent" in the middle East, reports The Washington Post.
Saudi Arabia would be a difficult nut to crack, even if the Bush admin were so inclined. The mere presence of the holiest places in Islam would guarantee that any action (economic, diplomatic, or military) against Saudi Arabia would be seen as a new crusade against the religion of Islam, something decidedly against U.S. goals (or, at any rate, should be against U.S. goals).
So, how to pressure the Saudi ruling class to, I don't know, "liberalize" without seeming anti-Islam. Would an oil boycott work? The briefing above apparently recommended ecommended
that U.S. officials give the Saudis an ultimatum to stop backing terrorism
or face seizure of its oil fields and its financial assets invested in the United States. While I certainly don't support military action is Saudi Arabia, could the seizure of assets work? Or is too much oil money, Saudi money, invested in Western markets to take action without compromising the economy? |
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