Saudi Arabia and the United States: whither the relationship?
Author | Terranova, Brian |
In the wake of September 11, many Americans have come together to honor and remember those who perished during the unforeseen attacks on American soil. Although it is now five years after the tragic occurrence, it is never too late to look back into the past and try to fathom how an attack as monstrous as this one slipped through the hands of our intelligence agencies and our government. As a university student I have read literature on Saudi Arabia's relationship to the United States, and I cannot help but agree that this relationship has undoubtedly impaired the overall U.S. war on terror and the protection of American citizens.
When Crown Prince Abdullah visited the White House in April of 2005, President George W. Bush pledged that the two would discuss the war on terror, spreading democracy to the Middle East, cultural ties, and, of course, oil.
To begin with, a stated goal of American foreign policy is to spread democracy throughout the Middle East. However, one would think it easier to foster democracy in a country that is our ally, because we hold the power of friendly, diplomatic talks. This does not seem to be the case with Saudi Arabia. Although Washington "applauded" the government of Saudi Arabia for its municipal elections--in which two women were voted into office--these elections were not as extensive as or significant as the U.S. Government made them out to be. According to reporting by the BBC, in many areas, including the capital Riyadh, women were not allowed to vote; of the 592 seats available in the 178 councils around the country, half of the seats were still appointed. (i)
Yes, it is a step toward democratization, but in no way will these elections lead to governmental elections or even higher council elections in the future. We must remember that Saudi Arabia is a monarchy that pertains to Shari'a law due to its strict following of the Wahhabi form of Islam.
As for the war on terror, this is quite a sticky subject with respect to Saudi Arabia. Members of the royal family--the House of Saud--have relations with the Bin Ladens and other various charities that fund money to militant Islamic groups. (ii) Many young Saudis are crossing the border into Iraq as "freedom fighters" and suicide bombers against U.S. and Western forces. Need we be reminded of the Saudis that participated in the September 11 attacks? Furthermore, the Saudi royal family funds Islamic schools and universities throughout Saudi Arabia. The...
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