A briefing given last month to a senior Pentagon advisory board described Saudi Arabia as an “enemy” of the United States, and recommended that U.S. officials give it an ultimatum to stop backing terrorism or face seizure of its oil fields and its financial assets invested in the United States.
"The Saudis are active at every level of the terror chain, from planners to financiers, from cadre to foot-soldier, from ideologist to cheerleader," stated the briefing, according to The Washington Post. It was presented on July 10 to the Defense Policy Board, a group of leading intellectuals and former top officials that advises the Pentagon on defense policy.
"Saudi Arabia supports our enemies and attacks our allies," said the briefing prepared by Laurent Murawiec, a Rand Corp. analyst, the newspaper reported on Tuesday. A talking point attached to the last of 24 briefing slides went even further, describing Saudi Arabia as "the kernel of evil, the prime mover, the most dangerous opponent" in the Middle East.
The briefing did not introduce the views of the board or official government policy, and it runs counter to the current attitude of the Bush administration that the Saudi kingdom is an important ally in the Middle East region. However, according to the newspaper, it represents a growing tendency within the Bush administration, especially within the staff of Vice President Cheney and in the Pentagon's civilian leadership.
One administration official said opinion about Saudi Arabia is changing swiftly within the U.S. government. "People used to rationalize Saudi behavior," he said. "You don't hear that anymore. There's no doubt that people are recognizing reality and recognizing that Saudi Arabia is a problem." (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
