What is the role of Saudi Arabia in the War on Terrorism?

Saudi Arabia, with its vast oil reserves, strategic geographical location, and a conservative and corrupt ruling dynasty, has long been a close U.S. political, economic, and military ally. The U.S. is Saudi Arabia's number one trading partner in both military equipment and civilian goods. Relations between the two countries rest on the premise that the Saudis deliver oil while he Americans deliver the weaponry that protects the oil. Washington has been reluctant to openly criticize Saudi Arabia's persecution of religious minorities, women, political opponents, and human rights NGOs, although a recent State Department report did recommend that Saudi Arabia be added to the list of "countries of particular concern" for its "severe violations of religious freedom." Increasingly, there is also criticism of unconditional U.S. support of Saudi Arabia in the U.S. Congress--a sign that U.S.-Saudi Arabia relations may come under new scrutiny.

Osama bin Laden, himself a Saudi, and other Muslim extremists frequently cite the presence of U.S. troops, based in Saudi Arabia since the 1991 Gulf War, as one of the reasons for targeting Americans. Fifteen of the 19 terrorists who hijacked the planes and turned them into weapons of mass destruction came from Saudi Arabia. Riyadh officials did help Washington in confirming the identities, but they have steadfastly denied that the terrorists operated from Saudi territory. They were also deeply offended that the Bush administration failed to inform them in advance when the Treasury Department froze assets of certain organizations said to be linked to terrorism. Saudi Arabia has so far not fully implemented measures to block bank accounts suspected of links to terrorist cells and has refused to allow American warplanes to fly missions against Afghanistan from its bases. While some congressional Democrats have begun to openly criticize Saudi Arabia, the Bush administration's official position as been described as "ask little, expect little." Similarly, the Saudis have, since September 11, trodden lightly when dealing with Washington: they have avoided raising the perennially contentious issue of the Israeli crackdown on the Palestinians.

Saudi Arabia remains a stable U.S. partner, but it's likely that the U.S. war on terrorism and its focus on Islamist movements will spur increased opposition to the royal family. Opposition to the Al Saud's authority emerged in 1991, when Islamist sectors criticized the close U.S.-Saudi Arabia alliance during the Gulf War. Having U.S. and other Western troops based in Saudi Arabia in close proximity to the holy cities of Medina and Mecca outraged the incipient religious opposition. While the religious fundamentalists consider the king an apostate, there is no popular support for the establishment of a theocratic state in Saudi Arabia as in Iran. The Sunni/Arab tribal society of Saudi Arabia tends toward consensus decisionmaking in contrast to the hierarchy of religious leadership in Shia Islam. With few liberal models, resentment of the ruling family is channeled into support for Islamist forces, such as those led by Osama bin Laden.

For more information

Islam and Stability in Saudi Arabia
http://www.cdi.org/terrorism/saudi.cfm
By Michael Donovan, Center for Defense Information

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