Peter Bergen: The real reason Saudis rolled out the reddest of red carpets

CNN ^ | Peter Bergen

[RoosterRedux]

Riyadh is a sprawling city of more than 6 million built by massive oil revenues, punctuated by soaring skyscrapers...

*snip*

But Riyadh, despite its seemingly shiny veneer, is in trouble. For the first time in decades the Saudi monarchy can no longer rely on the revenues from oil to maintain its position as the leading Arab state and to buy off any aspirations that the Saudi population might have to play a real role in politics.

That's because the days of $100-a-barrel oil are long gone and are unlikely to return anytime soon. And it is this reality that made President Trump's trip to Riyadh and his speech on Sunday so important to the Saudi monarchy.

*snip*

Until a year ago, compliance with the dictates of Saudi-style Wahhabi Islam were rigorously enforced by members of the feared religious police, known as the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (the same name that was used by the Taliban's religious police when the Taliban were in power in Afghanistan).

*snip*

But, last April, the wings of the religious police were clipped by King Salman and his son MBS, as he is universally known here. They no longer have the power to arrest suspects and now can only report them to regular police units.

In addition to getting the religious police to back off, the Saudi monarchy has allowed some music concerts to happen, but their biggest ambition, as described above, is to wean Saudi Arabia from its almost total dependence on oil revenues.

The Saudis see the Trump administration as a key to this, and that's why they rolled out the reddest of red carpets for the President's visit.

[PGR88]

America guarantees the Saudi Monarchy’s security. We, in turn, allow them to run the Sunni-world through propagation of ideology and money. ISIS, if not directly controlled by the Saudis, is an operation gone wrong - but even then, they still serve a valuable strategic purpose in Syria for the Saudis and Americans.

Our relations with them are a deal made with the devil over 6 decades ago.

[The Great RJ]

Big thing..Trump didn’t bow and kowtow to the Saudi King like Obama did

[LS]

So I guess we all have lots of oil then, if prices are falling.

Wait, I thought we were running out of oil.

[2banana]

When they stop making churches and Bibles illegal, it will be the first baby step...

[wbill]

The Arab culture respects strength and detests weakness.

[elcid1970]

When a female Saudi Christian convert drives to church in Riyadh with her hair uncovered......

“Roger, Oink Oink Flight, you are cleared for takeoff!”

[smokingfrog]

Did they think that oil was going to last forever?

[antidemoncrat]

According to the experts from the 80’s we ran out of oil in 2000. Actually what happen is global warming made all the oil to evaporate.

[DoughtyOne]

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...this is a general all-purpose message, and should not be seen as targeting any individual I am responding to...

[Parley Baer]

Personally I think this is about turning the screws on Iran and undoing the evil that President obama has done.

[grania]

personally I think this is about turning the screws on Iran and undoing the evil President Obama has done

I'm seeing a real smart negotiation here, if the DC swampthings don't ruin it. Saudi Arabia needs a place to invest their money. The US needs that cash back for infrastructure. The tradeoff is that Saudis do what they do best....kill horrible people. In turn, the US has promised to not get involved in regime change or demanding that cultures change. And Tillerson has told the Iranians the phone is always connected.

I'm not sure Nikki Haley is on board.

I also think that Israel has to realize this is their best chance to make a deal. I'm wondering if part of that deal is no more settlements on Palestinian land, no more trying to overthrow governments, and they get to kill ISIS maniacs too.

[Pearls Before Swine]

Trump is the new guy in town. And Obama, after the Iranian nuke deal, is perceived as a piece of Shiite.

[Fightin Whitey]

Couple thousand words on the matter and Peterless Bergen fails to reach any point.

THIS...is CNN.

[timestax]

image sharing

[Agamemnon]

Trump's repeated denunciation of terrorism to 50 heads of Islamic countries may have merely been a post-script to a conversation Trump had with Salmann that was short, sweet and to the point:

"Just one more terrorist act on US soil and Mecca becomes glass.

"There will be no second chances. No Mecca = no Muslim religion. Got that?

"Your credibility and with it the legitimacy of every other Muslim government goes poof instantly. Do we understand each other?

"Great. Now fetch me the sword for that stupid little jig you all do around here. Get one for my guy Rex over there too. He's got the steps down already and he's really crazy for that "Taqiyya Samba."

FReegards!

[LS]

Hysterical