What happens when a nation can no longer depend on the United States? Saudi Arabia is one such example of a country that has decided to part ways with the U.S. as it realizes it has become an increasingly unreliable stabilizing force. The bigger picture, however, is that while all the destabilized nations in the middle east go through their turmoil (a moment of weakness), Iran has positioned itself to extend its grip on the region. This, along with the overthrowing of Egypt’s Mubarak, who has kept stability in the area for decades and was a reliable partner to both the U.S. and the Saudis has left the kingdom with no choice but to maintain regional stability on its own and attempt to contain Iran’s growing dominance.
After giving up on US and Israel ever confronting Iran, Saudi Arabia has gone out on a limb against the Obama administration to place itself at the forefront of an independent Gulf campaign for cutting down the Islamic Republic’s drive for a nuclear bomb and its expansionist meddling in Arab countries, debkafile’s Middle East sources report.
Two US emissaries sent to intercede with Saudi King Abdullah – US Defense Secretary Robert Gates on April 6 and National Security Adviser Tom Donilon, who arrived in Riyadh six days later – were told that Saudi Arabia had reached a parting-of-the ways with Washington, followed actively by Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.
Abdullah said he could not forgive the Americans for throwing former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to the wolves in Cairo and for the unrest they were promoting against Arab regimes.
Saudi Arabia was therefore determined to lead the Gulf region on the road to a confrontation with Iran – up to and including military action if necessary – to defend the oil emirates against Iranian conspiracies in the pursuit of which the king accused US-led diplomacy of giving Tehran a clear field.
Continue reading article: Saudis give up on US, instigate direct Gulf action against Iran (DEBKAfile)
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