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Saudi Arabia - Deaf to reason || (Our friends, the Crunchy Frogs -
Arab News ^ | 8.21.02 | Editorial Board

Posted on 08/20/2002 9:25:29 PM PDT by swarthyguy

It has been painfully clear, since it came to office, that the Bush Administration does not listen to Arab views. It does not matter what the subject is, be it the Israel-Palestine issue, a possible strike against Iraq to depose Saddam Hussein or, indeed, anything else. In the past few days alone, there has been a fresh roar of Arab warnings to the US not to attack Iraq — from the Kingdom, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, the UAE, and other friends of the US in the region. It is not because they have any affection for Saddam Hussein; on the contrary, the day he ceases to be president of Iraq will be one of general rejoicing in the Arab world. But despite the fact that he is a most vicious tyrant with hands steeped in the blood of so many of his own people, there is the unavoidable fact that an attack at this present time against Iraq would destabilize the region dangerously. That may sound like putting practicality before morality, but it is not. Far more people would die if the Middle East were convulsed in political uproar than are presently threatened by Saddam Hussein — which, in the event, is much disputed.

Any exasperation at Washington’s firmly closed ears, or even bitterness that it so vigorously casts its friends’ opinions to the wind, might be tempered by the knowledge that the Arabs are in good company. The rest of America’s friends and allies, with the exception of the British government (even it is sorely divided), are firmly opposed to any present military action against Iraq. They too are studiously ignored. That is in itself one of the more astonishing aspects of Washington’s Iraq policy. Normally, it would be inconceivable that it would opt to go it alone against the advice and wishes of its NATO partners. Unfortunately, the fact that it also ignores its closest allies is small consolation when compared to the awesome possibility that a war may be imminent.

But if Bush is not listening to the Arabs, or even to his European partners in NATO, will he listen to warning voices at home? We now hear American elder statesmen concurring that this is not the time to attack Iraq; that to do so alone could split NATO, destroy the American-led war on terror and unleash massive international economic recession if oil supplies are disrupted in consequence. They imply that the White House has not taken on board such possibilities. In normal circumstances President Bush cannot afford to ignore the views let alone the implicit criticism of men like former US Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and Laurence Eagleburger. If he now does, it will be proof of how deaf to reason he and his administration have become.

Meanwhile, what he must think of Russian president Vladimir Putin announcing this week a $40-billion trade pact with Iraq is probably unprintable. This is the man he presented as his buddy in the fight against international terrorism. The timing cannot have been accidental: Russia too is sending an unmistakable message that a strike against Iraq would be folly. Sadly, Bush and his team will probably simply see it as further evidence that the rest of the world is out of step and fickle.

That is how a superpower proves itself a superpower — by showing that it has no need for friends. And that is also how it turns friends into enemies.


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: arabia; araby; saudi

1 posted on 08/20/2002 9:25:29 PM PDT by swarthyguy
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To: swarthyguy
With friends like that, who needs enemies?? But to be honest, what got me to read this article was the;

"Our friends, the Crunchy Frogs"

remark in the title, LOL, what IS that suppose to mean?? LOL


2 posted on 08/20/2002 10:17:11 PM PDT by KineticKitty
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To: KineticKitty
That was a MontyPython line about a line of chocolates.

Got tired of Barf, Hurl, Spew and Gag Alerts.

Crunchy Frog sounded and tasted just right. Tastes good coming up too....
3 posted on 08/20/2002 10:25:22 PM PDT by swarthyguy
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To: swarthyguy
Crunchy Frogs..Are they deep fried? Sounds like some fine Southern cooking to me. Yummy. Froggie has been a p*ss poor ally for the last 30+ years. The one and only remotely intelligent act by the French was sinking a Greenpeace ship. That is always a good thing to see. Otherwise they are whiny leftist pukes.
4 posted on 08/20/2002 10:31:31 PM PDT by CARepubGal
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To: swarthyguy
The Saudi's also want to limit the response of the US against terrorism because 20 of the 21 suspects involved with the 9/11 attacks came from Saudi Arabia. The Saudis wanted us to remove Saddam from Kuwait because his forces were a direct threat against them. But now that their own nationals have been linked with terrorists acts, the Saudis want to protect the terrorist Saddam. Who knows, maybe they were even instrumental in stopping the M1 tanks on the road to Baghdad. It kinda makes sense that some Brutal Royal Totalitarians would want to preserve a neighboring totalitarian, otherwise the serfs within the region might actually become empowered.
5 posted on 08/20/2002 10:50:25 PM PDT by justa-hairyape
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To: swarthyguy
DOH, thanks for the reminder.
6 posted on 08/21/2002 9:18:32 AM PDT by KineticKitty
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To: swarthyguy
The Arab New!

Now, that's a source I go to for advice on how America should respond to the attacks against our homeland and our friends....

Sure....

These bastards have slipped beneath contempt...
They've become an enemy by their own actions, and bitch about it....Makes them easy to despise - and exterminate when necessary.
Semper Fi

7 posted on 08/24/2002 3:51:50 PM PDT by river rat
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