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Saudi Arabia Moves to Take Down Syria, Iran and Hezbollah
The National Interest ^ | August 16, 2011 | Bruce Riedel

Posted on 08/16/2011 8:00:00 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

After months of protests and regime violence, King Abdallah of Saudi Arabia, one of the last absolute monarchs in the world, has called on Syria’s embattled president, Bashar al-Assad, to stop the “killing machine” repressing his own people and accept at least some of the demands of Syrians calling for an end to Assad’s decade old dictatorship. The king backed up his statement by recalling Saudi Arabia’s ambassador from Damascus, and its clients Bahrain and Kuwait quickly followed Riyadh’s lead.

The Saudis sense a strategic opportunity has opened in Syria, a unique chance to deal a mortal blow to one of their enemies, the Shia terror group Hezbollah, and a serious blow to their regional adversary Iran. Since Israel’s foolish invasion of Lebanon in 1982, the Syrian regime of Hafez and Bashar Assad has been Iran’s key partner in creating Hezbollah, arming it to the teeth with thousands of rockets and missiles and sending it to create terror throughout the region. For decades Damascus has allowed Tehran to use its airports and ports to transfer arms to Hezbollah, and more recently it has provided much of its own equipment directly to the Shia group. Iranian Revolutionary Guards have been based in Syria and thousands of Iranian tourists and spies have come to worship at Damascus’ Sayyidah Zaynab mosque, a traditional Shia holy site and an excellent place for extremists to get together under the protective eye of Syrian intelligence.

It was at the Zaynab mosque that Hezbollah and IRGC operatives met with Saudi Shia in 1996 to plan the attack on the American air force base at Dhahran in the Kingdom. Nineteen Americans were killed in the Khobar barracks attack, and dozens of Saudis were injured in a nearby neighborhood. Iran and Hezbollah orchestrated the attack. The Saudis have seen Hezbollah terror attacks on their neighbor Kuwait in the past and have accused the party of being behind Bahrain’s troubles this year. On top of all this the United Nations has determined Hezbollah responsible for the murder of the pro-Saudi former Lebanese prime minsiter Rafiq Harriri in 2005. The Saudi grudge against Hezbollah is deep.

The al-Sauds were especially outraged this July when pro-Assad demonstraters in Damascus and other Syrian cities hoisted Hezbollah flags along side Syrian flags to celebrate the anniversary of Bashar’s assumption of power after his father’s death in 2000. A key editorial in the Saudi paper Asharq al-Awsat at the time warned that this blatant display of support for Hezbollah was a step too far for the House of Saud, saying “the al-Assad regime is now wrapping itself in the flag of Hezbollah” a group that targets Sunni leaders and Sunni interests. This editorial prefigured Abdallah’s public remarks this month.

Riyadh worries that Assad will be replaced by chaos, but it has now come to the conclusion the risk is worth the price. If the Assad regime is destroyed, so too will Syrian support for Hezbollah be destroyed. If a new regime emerges that reflects the will of Syria’s majority-Sunni population, it can become a base for destabilizing the Hezbollah-dominated government in Beirut. The power balance in the Levant could be tilted decisively against Hezbollah and undercut Iranian regional influence.

Abdallah spoke with President Barack Obama at the end of last week,and both called for an end to the Syrian regime’s repression of its people. Undoubtedly the Saudis have also urged Washington to see the strategic opportunity in Syria. Washington and Riyadh will certainly continue to disagree on the merits of democracy in the Arab world, but they can cooperate on fighting Hezbollah. For the Saudis the time has come to settle scores with an old adversary.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Israel; Politics/Elections; Russia; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: hezbollah; iran; israel; russia; saudiarabia; syria; waronterror
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To: dennisw; Cachelot; Nix 2; veronica; Catspaw; knighthawk; Alouette; Optimist; weikel; Lent; GregB; ..
Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

..................

41 posted on 08/17/2011 5:21:05 AM PDT by SJackson (Normal people don't sit cross-legged on the floor and bang on drums, WI State Sen Glenn Grothman (R))
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To: caww
they will all turn on each other and the winners will unite and go after Israel

This may not take long for the winners to emerge, as we are witnessing much in one year. Probable outcome (your opinion) is my opinion also. Estimate (guess) could be one year to a maximum of five years before the winners emerge.

42 posted on 08/17/2011 5:34:38 AM PDT by no-to-illegals (Please God, Protect and Bless Our Men and Women in Uniform with Victory. Amen.)
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To: FDNYRHEROES

I’m not sure the Israeli action in Lebanon was a success. Was it?


43 posted on 08/17/2011 5:40:05 AM PDT by Williams (Honey Badger Don't Care)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet; MississippiMan; ctdonath2; LibertyRocks; GonzoGOP; b4its2late; bert; maquiladora; ..

In light of the comments made yesterday by the Turkey’s FM, this is rather interesting . . .

15:00
UN says withdraws non-essential staff from Syria (Reuters)

http://www.haaretz.com/misc/breaking-news


44 posted on 08/17/2011 5:45:49 AM PDT by jhpigott (North Korea - The land of lousy options)
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To: yldstrk
And what is the deal with women prohibited from driving an automobile?

Have you seen women drive???

45 posted on 08/17/2011 6:10:41 AM PDT by Obadiah (Obama: "Let them eat peas!")
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To: jhpigott

Galrahn over at Information Dissemination picking up on this story as well -

Galrahn Raymond Pritchett
So is the UN staff withdrawal from Syria a response to the warnings by the Turkish FM? Is Turkey signaling military action?
13 minutes ago

http://twitter.com/#!/Galrahn


46 posted on 08/17/2011 6:18:42 AM PDT by jhpigott (North Korea - The land of lousy options)
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To: yldstrk

“And what is the deal with women prohibited from driving an automobile?”

That would be a blessing.


47 posted on 08/17/2011 6:20:44 AM PDT by demshateGod (The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

“Sayyidah Zaynab mosque, a traditional Shia holy site and an excellent place for extremists to get together under the protective eye of Syrian intelligence.”

Great line. All mosques are gathering points for terrorism, regardless of the sect.

http://www.asecondlookatthesaudis.com/index.html

Of the nineteen hijackers who attacked this nation on September 11, 2001, fifteen were Saudi Arabian. Moreover, each and every one of the nineteen hijackers was personally chosen and provided with training and financing by yet another Saudi native – Osama bin Laden. Yet from that day to this, in spite of these disturbing and incontrovertible facts, members of the Bush administration have glibly and incessantly insisted that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of our closest friends and allies in the War on Terror. Fifteen Saudis murdered nearly 3,000 Americans on live TV, all at the behest of one of the Kingdom’s prodigal sons. How can these basic facts about 9/11 possibly be mere trivia?

In fact, they are just the tip of the iceberg. In the years since September 11, a growing body of evidence has emerged illuminating the central role Saudi nationals have played in the rise of Al Qaeda and its terrorist attacks against the United States.

PDF 1 - Jumping the tracks:
http://www.asecondlookatthesaudis.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/asecondlookatthesaudisjumpingthetracks.pdf

PDF 2 - Cause and effect:
http://www.asecondlookatthesaudis.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/asecondlookatthesaudiscauseandeffect.pdf

PDF 3 - A global agenda:
http://www.asecondlookatthesaudis.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/asecondlookatthesaudisaglobalagenda.pdf

PDF 4 - The tangled web
http://www.asecondlookatthesaudis.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/asecondlookatthesaudis-thetangledweb.pdf

KING FAUD SPEAKS

“I summon my blue-eyed slaves anytime it pleases me. I command the Americans to send me their bravest soldiers to die for me. Anytime I clap my hands a stupid genie called the American ambassador appears to do my bidding. When the Americans die in my service their bodies are frozen in metal boxes by the US Embassy and American airplanes carry them away, as if they never existed. Truly, America is my favorite slave.”
King Fahd Bin Abdul-Aziz, Jeddeh 1993
www.sauduction.com

If this is to actually happen, I pray that the level of bloodshed reaches beyond any other ME war. Should the outcome force the house of saud to fall, and they flee their little, Hell on Earth, I hope they are tracked down and slaughtered like the koranimals that they are.

As far at the demonic trilogy in this article is concerned (saudi arabia, kuwait,bahrain) they are among the largest contributors to terrorism worldwide, minus qatar but I’m sure they will collapse too if this dream comes true.


48 posted on 08/17/2011 6:32:59 AM PDT by bayouranger (The 1st victim of islam is the person who practices the lie.)
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To: jhpigott

Uh-oh.


49 posted on 08/17/2011 6:38:24 AM PDT by ctdonath2 ($1 meals: http://abuckaplate.blogspot.com/)
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To: hannibaal
That is my concern in my post 7.
I don't want to see our soldiers fighting for the Saudis
As far as I am concerned if Mecca and Medina were turned to glass it would be a positive thing. Let em destroy each other.

I would hope Israel would take advantage of their enemies being preoccupied.

Here I sit wishing I were God again. (I'm definitely not)

50 posted on 08/17/2011 6:40:22 AM PDT by right way right (What's it gonna take?)
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To: ken21

King Abdallah of Saudi Arabia doesn’t have the popular support of his people. Those same people who created the 9/11 hijackers.


51 posted on 08/17/2011 6:40:22 AM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
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To: driftdiver

yep.

that’s why the saudis repress their people and they’re

giving them money to buy their loyalty.

how long that will last, is anyone’s guess.


52 posted on 08/17/2011 6:46:38 AM PDT by ken21 (ruling class dem + rino progressives -- destroying america for 150 years.)
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To: ken21

Until they run out of money. The Democrat politicans practice the same thing.


53 posted on 08/17/2011 6:48:35 AM PDT by sport
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To: ctdonath2

Well, it looks like Turkey’s top security officials are going to be getting together tomorrow to discuss “radical policy changes” vis-a-vi Syria. Inspite of the tough talk and the UN staff withdraw I have a hard time believing Turkey is going to embark on a military campaign against Syria given most of their top military officials resigned just a couple weeks ago.

“Turkey will discuss radical changes to its Syrian policy when its top security council meets Thursday amid Damascus’ continued refusal to heed Ankara’s demands for reform.”
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=turkey-mulls-radical-changes-in-syria-2011-08-16


54 posted on 08/17/2011 6:54:15 AM PDT by jhpigott (North Korea - The land of lousy options)
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To: Uncle Miltie
To Saudi Arabia: "What are you prepared to DO about it?"

Among other things, see what value can be extracted from Hussein. He did bow, many of us noticed. Barry's going to need many extra millions of (petro-) dollars on untraceable debit cards if he's going to "take" the 2012 election.

HF

55 posted on 08/17/2011 7:03:41 AM PDT by holden
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To: Mike Darancette
Look for Hezbollah and Syrian mischief against Israel. That would change the game instantly.

Indeed it would. Isaiah 17 and Ezekiel 38 & 39 spring to mind. Especially the part about the city of Damascus being totally destroyed so that not one stone stands upon another.

RAPTURE READY?

56 posted on 08/17/2011 7:27:36 AM PDT by ExSoldier ("Life without God is like an unsharpened pencil: It has no point.")
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To: Obadiah

I am a woman and have never been in a wreck know wood


57 posted on 08/17/2011 7:32:32 AM PDT by yldstrk (My heroes have always been cowboys)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I find it interesting that the Israeli and Saudi interests are closely aligned.


58 posted on 08/17/2011 7:39:12 AM PDT by golfisnr1
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To: right way right

“Isn’t the Saudi Military basically our American armed forces?”

Let’s put it this way; I trained in the same 2 seater F-16 as a Saudi pilot, and we went drinking together regularly in certain SW USA towns.

(I was IAF, by the way.)


59 posted on 08/17/2011 7:44:08 AM PDT by Jewbacca (The residents of Iroquois territory may not determine whether Jews may live in Jerusalem.)
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To: Yehuda

It has been a long time, and it was good to read your response. When I read about the mistake Israel supposedly made, I knew that had to come from some Israel/American hating group comprised of left wing elitists and JINOs. Thanks for doing the research!

“I skimmed the article, found it interesting, and went right to the FR comments above.

And I spotted this in quotes, and went back and confirmed its in the article:

“Since Israel’s foolish invasion of Lebanon in 1982, the Syrian regime of Hafez and Bashar Assad has been Iran’s key partner in creating Hezbollah...”

I went to the original site to see who writes such interesting analysis and found them to be a bunch of bootlickers of the screw-Israel crowd of Chas Freeman/ Mearsheimer and Walt.

http://nationalinterest.org/article/a-free-man-3055

They seem particularly in lust with MJ Rosenberg, the arch -self-loathing, jihadi-commie feces polisher of all time.

If I meet any of these jihadi-enthusiasts, I would consider it a prime honor to stick my boot up their rear ends.”


60 posted on 08/17/2011 8:01:57 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IS DESTROYING AMERICA-LOOK AT WHAT IT DID TO THE WHITE HOUSE!)
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