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Saudi king promises US full support
By Frank Gardner
King Fahd of Saudi Arabia has said his country will offer America full
co-operation in its fight against terrorism. Thousands of US troops and several
squadrons of Western war planes are already based in Saudi Arabia. They could
form an integral part of any coming military action against those Washington
believe were behind last week's terror attacks. But many Saudis deeply resent
their government's alliance with America.
Diplomatic tightrope
The Saudi ruling family is faced with an awkward dilemma - just how far should
it go in supporting America against an enemy which could turn out to be Arab and
Muslim. For now the Saudi leadership appears to be tagging along behind
Washington, offering its full support in the global struggle against terror. The
estimated 5,000 US airmen and their warplanes already based in Saudi Arabia are
so far out in the desert as to be invisible to the public eye. That is just as
well because most Saudis do not want them in their country.
Holy Islamic soil
Still less do they want to see Saudi Arabia, home to the two holiest shrines in
Islam, being used as a springboard to attack so called Islamic terrorists. Osama
Bin Laden, the exiled Saudi born dissident, still enjoys a lot of sympathy in
his home country. The peace loving Saudis may not approve of his violent
methods, but many agree with his motives. They too believe that America and the
West are biased against Muslims, particularly the Palestinians and Iraq.
Privately many Saudis are gloating that the world's only superpower has been
humbled by last week's attacks.
Potential dissent
But America is still a major strategic ally of Saudi Arabia, so the ruling
family is now having to tread something of a tightrope. On the one hand it wants
to stay on the right side of Washington, lining up to combat terror. On the
other hand it is having to appease its own restless population, insisting, for
example, that Israel does not take advantage of the current situation. Over the
coming days and weeks Saudi Arabia's mainly devout population will be watching
closely to see if their rulers are acting in their country's best interest.
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