Saudi Arabia: the ceaseless quest for security.

• Author: Kupchan, Charles

Saudi Arabia: The Ceaseless Quest for Security

Saudi Arabia: The Ceaseless Quest for Security. Nadav Safran. Belknap/Harvard University Press, $29.95. Nadav Safran has amassed a wealth of information on Saudi foreign policy from 1964 to 1982, an impressive accomplishment given the closed nature of Saudi society and the paucity of good source material on the topic. But Safran's greater accomplishment is an insightful analysis that weaves together four important strands: the politics of the Saudi ruling elite, events in the Persian Gulf, developments in the Arab-Israeli conflict, and American involvement in the Middle East.

Well known for their political timidity, the wealthy Saudis generally have followed the consensus in the Arab world. Safran attributes the recent unpredictability of Saudi foreign policy in part to the decentralization of authority within the country, especially that which occurred during the reign of King Khaled following Faisal's death in 1975. Under Khaled, the kingdom moved toward a more collective style of leadership, one that produced divisions within the ruling family and hence an indecisive and ambiguous foreign policy. Safran argues that the disintegration of the moderate Arab consensus in the wake of the Iranian revolution and Egypt's expulsion from the Arab League threatened the Saudi's strategic position in the Gulf and further contributed to their unpredictable behavior.

The Saudis, says Safran, have been forced to choose between closer relations with the United States and alignment with Syria and Iraq. Dependence on American security guarantees was incompatible with pan-Arab sentiment, while attempts to juggle relationships with Syria and Iraq were complicated by clashes between Damascus and Baghdad over the Iranian revolution and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

As usual, the Saudis have avoided making clear decisions. Whatever the tilt of Saudi policy, though, it has become clear that the United...