Why Arabs Fear a U.S.-Iran Détente

The New York Times ^ | October 27, 2013 | Marwan Bishara

[Colonel Kangaroo]

PARIS — Tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United States over Washington’s approach to the Middle East were brewing for months before they burst into the open last week.

First, there was the American inaction in Syria and lack of progress on Israeli-Palestinian peace. Then came America’s withdrawal of aid to the Egyptian military after the July coup. Now President Obama is pursuing a very public rapprochement with Iran, Saudi Arabia’s archrival.

The mounting disagreements between the two longtime allies is now in full public view. Last week, the head of Saudi intelligence warned that it would stop cooperating with the United States on certain issues...

[Colonel Kangaroo]

The Israeli opposition to the current trends in US-Iranian relations is well known, but the objections of our Saudi allies seem to be less publicized. In that part of the world,every ally creates an enemy and every effort to reduce tensions with an enemy strains an alliance.

[Zhang Fei]

Al Jazeera analyst grouses that Israel is still alive and kicking. Tres amusing...

[Colonel Kangaroo]

A lot of complaining in this article. I’m sure John McCain and Lindsey Graham are listening and taking notes on such concerns.

[nuconvert]

FYI in case you missed this scathing opinion piece Oct 23 .......

Our Former Friends the Saudis
So how is that vow to repair America’s frayed alliances working out?

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303902404579151573907253280

“The Saudis are hardly the first U.S. ally to be burned by an American President more eager to court enemies than reassure friends. The Poles and Czechs found that out when Mr. Obama withdrew ballistic-missile defense sites from their country in 2009 as a way of appeasing the Russians.”

-excerpt-

“And the Israelis are gradually realizing that their self-advertised “best friend” in the White House will jump into any diplomatic foxhole rather than act in time to stop an Iranian bomb.

Now the Saudis have figured it out, too, and at least they’re not afraid to say it publicly. “They [the Americans] are going to be upset—and we can live with that,” Saudi security analyst Mustafa Alani told Ms. Knickmeyer last month. “We are learning from our enemies now how to treat the United States.”

[Hetuck]

My working assumption for some time now has been that the Saudis bought and paid for this administration and some ‘friends’ in Congress. Does this rift indicate that there is a new high bidder and, if so, who?

[The Working Man]

Your thoughts parallel my own.

On the other hand perhaps they have decided that the elites in our own country can defeat the “Great Satan” all on their own. Sometimes in my dreams I hear chanting of “death to America” coming from D.C.