Wonder what ticked him off
"Wonder what ticked him off"
For the 60 years prior to 9/11, they were a strong ally. After 9/11, certain people (like Rudy Giuliani) stirred up anti-Saudi sentiments in the US. The political situation in SA is complex, with the ruling party distanced from the people and the Imams. They have an understanding where they are separate and leave each other alone. As a result, the Saud family had no knowledge of the 11 Saudi hijackers, but still got stereotyped as the guilty party in lots of people's eyes. Then we invaded a Sunni muslim country (Iraq) and gave the Shiite's lots of power when SA is predominantly Sunni. The Saud family's hold on power is weak and this threatened it greatly. They are thinking about their own interests.