31 Jan. - 6 Feb. 2002
Issue No.571
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 31 Jan. - 6 Feb. 2002 Issue No.571 |
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The end of the honeymoon
There are several signs of unease in US-Saudi relations despite official denials, Anayat Durrani reports from Washington
Since the 11 September attack on the United States, reports have been flying in the American media regarding the alleged strains in US-Saudi relations. The media scrutiny over the US-Saudi relationship picked up steam again last week after claims in leading US papers that Riyadh had asked Washington to withdraw the nearly 5,000 US troops stationed on its soil since the lead-up to the 1991 Gulf War.
An earlier report by The Washington Post stated that Saudi rulers have become "increasingly uncomfortable" with the presence of US troops in their country and believe the United States has "overstayed its welcome." Senator Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, also made a statement that American forces were not welcome in Saudi Arabia and suggested the US move its troops to somewhere "more hospitable."
Some in Washington have echoed these feelings, pointing to rising anti-American sentiment and militancy in Saudi Arabia, which they blame on the kingdom's system of government, education, and religious institutions. One of the criticisms levelled at the Saudis is that they have not done enough to crack down on militants within their country, citing how Saudis have been slow to freeze the assets of individuals and organisations that allegedly funnelled money to Osama Bin Laden's Al-Qa'eda organisation. They have also been critical of Saudi Arabia's failure to permit US warplanes to launch air strikes in Afghanistan from Saudi territory.
Criticism against Saudi Arabia has been far-ranging. Most recently, there was the case of US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Martha McSally, the nation's highest-ranking female fighter pilot, who filed a lawsuit against Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to end the US military policy that requires women to wear the traditional Muslim abaya covering outside US bases. The policy has since been altered to "strongly urge" US military women to wear the abaya, a decision that received sharp criticism from the Saudis.
Some say that America's historical relationship with the world's largest oil exporter has been put to the test since the events of 11 September. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers who caused the mayhem of 11 September were Saudis. Bin Laden, the most wanted man in the world, and alleged mastermind of the 11 September attacks, was also born in Saudi Arabia, although he was stripped of his Saudi citizenship in 1994. The major grievance Bin Laden has cited against the US is its military presence in a country that houses Islam's two holiest sites.
The Americans and Saudis have enjoyed a strong relationship that extends for more than six decades. It was during Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 that those ties deepened. Saudi Arabia gave US forces access to its territory to counter Iraq's occupation of Kuwait. After the war, the Saudis permitted thousands of US troops and a number of warplanes to be stationed at the Prince Sultan Air Base south of Riyadh -- America's largest base in the region -- to monitor the no-fly zone in southern Iraq. Following the Gulf War, Saudi Arabia limited US actions, preventing bombers from using Saudi territory to launch attacks on Iraq.
Since reports surfaced about the possibility that the US-Saudi relationship had been "fractured," Saudis have been swift in responding to what they feel is a media campaign against them. In a rare interview with The Washington Post and The New York Times, Crown Prince Abdallah attempted to set the record straight regarding US-Saudi relations. "With regard to the relationship between us and the United States, there has been absolutely no change in any of the fields at all. The relationship is exactly as it was and it continues as it is," he said. "I really don't see any disagreements, other than what I read in some of the media."
Since 11 September, Saudi Arabia has condemned the attacks and has cooperated and participated with the US in the global campaign against terrorism. In an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro on Saturday, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal said his country would not take the blame for the attacks. "We are closely examining our mistakes, but by loading the blame for 11 September on a country -- Saudi Arabia -- the Western media is committing a massive injustice," he said.
Prince Saud said terrorism was "something from which we've also suffered," and that his country had been actively involved in combating terrorism. He also said relations between his country and the US remained "positive" and that the Saudis would continue to search for and apprehend people of any nationality who were involved in the Al-Qa'eda network. "We have to be on guard and educate our people, ensure that they become conscious of the dangers of organisations such as Al-Qa'eda," he said.
Issues of concern that have been voiced by the Saudis include the harm suffered by Afghan civilians due to US-led air strikes. The Saudis have also raised concern over the detention and treatment of Saudis within the United States. One major issue that is creating a rift in the relationship between the US and Saudi Arabia is American foreign policy toward the Middle East, namely the US's unyielding support for Israel. The Saudis have urged the US to play a more neutral role in mediating the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and to increase its involvement in the peace process.
While both the US and Saudis deny reports in the media that the Saudis have asked for US troops to leave the country, discussion about reducing the number of US military personnel in the area was being considered by both countries long before 11 September.
"Ever since the Gulf War ended, we've been working to try to minimise the amount of time and the size of the footprint that US forces have in Saudi Arabia," White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card told CNN on Sunday. "They've been asking a long time, and we've been working with them for a long time -- not just during this administration but during previous administrations -- to reduce the footprint."
Both the White House and the Saudi government have said they continue to maintain excellent relations. Reiterating comments by President George W Bush and other US officials, Card added that the Saudis have been "wonderful allies in this war against terrorists."
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