Saudi Arabia warns U.S. that policy on Syria, Iran straining decades-old [W:70]

[American]

Saudi Arabia warns U.S. that policy on Syria, Iran straining decades-old alliance - CBS News

Saudi Arabia severs diplomatic ties with US over response to conflict in Syria | Mail Online

Saudi Arabia is reportedly threatening to scale back its decades-old partnership with Washington over the Obama administration's perceived weakness in dealing with Syrian leader Bashar Assad, and its recent furtive overtures with the Saudis' arch-enemy, Iran.


Articles citing anonymous sources familiar with Saudi policy -- though notably, no articles in major Saudi publications -- have quoted the head of the Kingdom's intelligence services, Prince Bandar bin Sultan al-Saud, as warning of a "major shift" or "scaling back" in the relationship.


According to the source cited by the Reuters news agency, the prince told European diplomats "the shift away from the U.S. is a major one... Saudi doesn't want to find itself any longer in a situation where it is dependent."


No Saudi official has confirmed, or even mentioned, a change in the practical dealings between the two nations, which include millions of dollars in military hardware purchases and close coordination by law enforcement agencies trying to counter al Qaeda and other Islamic extremists groups.

This is not good. Need to watch how this develops. Kerry better get his act together.

 

[Erod]

They must laugh at the clowns that represent America these days. We might as well be running Stuart Smalley or Boy George out to the Middle East.

 

[ItAin'tFree]

More Obama administration incompetence on full display again. I think he is the first American president to find a way to get everybody else in the world mad at us. Most manage just to get a few.

 

[justabubba]

Saudi Arabia warns U.S. that policy on Syria, Iran straining decades-old alliance - CBS News

Saudi Arabia severs diplomatic ties with US over response to conflict in Syria | Mail Online



This is not good. Need to watch how this develops. Kerry better get his act together.

you are a administration too late to assess the blame for this circumstance
iraq under saddam was dominated by the sunni sect
the same sect in control of the house of saud
so, when we displaced saddam and the shia came into power, iraq was no longer in saudi arabia's orbit
instead, with the shia dominated government in iraq, it's now more inclined toward alliance with the shia dominated iranian government
you want to blame Obama but it was the shrub (more accurately, cheney) who changed the ME alliances out of saudi arabia's favor
again, Obama has yet another problem to clean up from the prior regime

 

[anatta]

Oh well too bad, I'm tired of constantly backing SA, and the Gulf states, and by extension the Sunni Crescent.
Time for the US to just back the Egyptian military (Obama recently stopped a lot of military aid), because Egypt is a key ally.

We can keep the Sunni staes as key allies, but their is no reason to not try to get along with the Shi'as. Stay ourt of the proxy war in Syria, last I heard the CIA was trying to train up the "rebels", but since the rebels are in an internicene war with their own jihadists, that isn't a good idea.

Stay as neutral as possible - which does extend our influence at the same time not giving up on our Sunni allies.

SA can complain all they want, they need us as much as we need the Gulf states and it.

 

[joG]

Saudi Arabia warns U.S. that policy on Syria, Iran straining decades-old alliance - CBS News

Saudi Arabia severs diplomatic ties with US over response to conflict in Syria | Mail Online



This is not good. Need to watch how this develops. Kerry better get his act together.

It is a pity that we have the President we do. He does not have the experience required for the re-balancing of power. This could be as bad or even worse for the US than introducing a social health system of such magnitude as the man did without the money, the economic stability or even the software in place to keep it above water.

 

[anatta]

Prince Bandar bin Sultan told European diplomats that the United States had failed to act effectively against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, was growing closer to Tehran, and had failed to back Saudi support for Bahrain when it crushed an anti-government revolt in 2011, the source said.


Read more: Saudi Arabia severs diplomatic ties with US over response to conflict in Syria | Mail Online

hilarious. so the prince wants to run our Mideast policy, huh? We should 'degrade" Assad, because he wants us to>?
Oh gee, they broke diplomatic ties..color me crushed..lol..i'm sure we didn't break Intel, and military ties

 

[iliveonramen]

Saudi Arabia warns U.S. that policy on Syria, Iran straining decades-old alliance - CBS News

Saudi Arabia severs diplomatic ties with US over response to conflict in Syria | Mail Online



This is not good. Need to watch how this develops. Kerry better get his act together.

So what should Kerry do? Bomb/land troops in Syria or throw away and opportunity to de escalate against the Iranians? Who wants an ally that requires either of those stipulations? The Saudi's are just Middle Eastern oil barron's that are use to the US doing their bidding.

 

[MMC]

hilarious. so the prince wants to run our Mideast policy, huh? We should 'degrade" Assad, because he wants us to>?
Oh gee, they broke diplomatic ties..color me crushed..lol..i'm sure we didn't break Intel, and military ties

Yeah that one fact about the Saud actually handling their own business.....with their very own two hands. Still constantly eludes their comprehension.

But I willing to help them focus.

.....

 

[PeteEU]

The US and the rest of the world have always been irrelevant in this game. This is a fight between Sunni and Shia.

Assad is an Alawite, which is a Shia sect.
Iran is Shia.

Saudi Arabia is Sunni, as is most of the people in the Syrian opposition.

All this actually goes back to the Ottoman Empire... 1500-1518ish actually, where Shia Islam was declared heretic by the Caliph who was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. He used it to defeat a rebellion lead by people influenced by the Safavid Dynasty, a mostly Shia kingdom coming out of modern day Iran and later on to defeat the Mamlurks who controlled Mecca and Medina. Before this, there was an unwritten rule that Muslims did not attack Muslims which had been pretty much upheld for centuries. After this.. well, lets just say all bets are off.

This has lead to today, where control of the holy sites is still key to Islamic politics, and at the moment it is the Saudi's that have this power, a power they took from the Ottomans and with the help of the British Empire. This has pissed off the Shia branch of Islam for a long time, and well couple that with the usual non religious politics of power, and you have a powder cake that has been going off for centuries. The Ottomans could keep a lid on this problem because the sultans had taken the role of Caliph, but after Kemal Atatürk got rid of the position after the defacto revolution, then the Islamic world has been without a leader to settle the religious problems between the two main sects and we have lived under this problem ever since.

So that the US is defacto backing Assad.. or at least not getting rid of him fast enough, and playing friendly with Iran now, that pisses off the Saudi's because it is a threat to their dominance of the Islamic world.

 

[VanceMack]

you are a administration too late to assess the blame for this circumstance
iraq under saddam was dominated by the sunni sect
the same sect in control of the house of saud
so, when we displaced saddam and the shia came into power, iraq was no longer in saudi arabia's orbit
instead, with the shia dominated government in iraq, it's now more inclined toward alliance with the shia dominated iranian government
you want to blame Obama but it was the shrub (more accurately, cheney) who changed the ME alliances out of saudi arabia's favor
again, Obama has yet another problem to clean up from the prior regime

But...Bush!!! Bush ! Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuush!!!!

Its not ABOUT Bush. Its about THIS president...the guy that has been in power for the last 5 years...and his complete failure in foreign policy, especially w/ regard to Syria.

 

[anatta]

So what should Kerry do? Bomb/land troops in Syria or throw away and opportunity to de escalate against the Iranians? Who wants an ally that requires either of those stipulations? The Saudi's are just Middle Eastern oil barron's that are use to the US doing their bidding.

yes.
There isn't any real reson to keep the cold war (s.i.c.) going againast Iran; we don't have to have an alliance, but there is no reson for detante'

 

[Sherman123]

Saudi Arabia warns U.S. that policy on Syria, Iran straining decades-old alliance - CBS News

Saudi Arabia severs diplomatic ties with US over response to conflict in Syria | Mail Online



This is not good. Need to watch how this develops. Kerry better get his act together.

Whenever Saudi Arabia is most aggrieved that is usually when despite its rhetoric it tries its hardest to hew closer to the United States. For example, I predict that the Kingdom will take its UNSC seat within the next 2-3 months once the media shock value of this pronouncement has died down. Why? This was only ever meant to be a message to the United States, to encourage Washington to pay closer attention to what is emanating from Riyadh. It has already won them some meetings, calls, and scheduled visits.

But shifting from the US? Please. There is no plausible alternative for Saudi Arabia. There is no substitute for the US security guarantee and the enormous military, political, and commercial (beyond oil & gas) that go with it. China is not going to open up military facilities in the Gulf, nor will Russia, and neither of them would be credible allies. The burgeoning relationship with China will continue but its military dimensions will remain on the far periphery.

 

[justabubba]

But...Bush!!! Bush ! Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuush!!!!

Its not ABOUT Bush. Its about THIS president...the guy that has been in power for the last 5 years...and his complete failure in foreign policy, especially w/ regard to Syria.

Obama did not create this situation
dicknbush did

 

[joko104]

Obama did not create this situation
dicknbush did

"It's Bush's fault." :lamo

 

[VanceMack]

Obama did not create this situation
dicknbush did

Obama's failed policies in Egypt, Libya, and Syria are the Saudi's cause of consternation, in spite of your dicknbush obsession.

 

[justabubba]

"It's Bush's fault." :lamo

because of his misguided war, that is fact

 

[head of joaquin]

Obama did not create this situation
dicknbush did

Exactly, Bush spent $3T to give Iran hegemony over the region by decapitating the Iraqi state. Thanks Bush; Iran would have done it for free.

 

[rathi]

Saudi Arabia and the U.S. have a relationship purely based on quid pro quo. They provide oil, we provide protection. The Saudi's have overestimated what kind of protection they are entitled too in said relationship. They get gulf war style assistance against overt invasion, not needless attacks on Iran or Syria simply because they are Saudi rivals. The president needs to remind the royal family that they don't have the power to make such demands.

 

[justabubba]

Saudi Arabia and the U.S. have a relationship purely based on quid pro quo. They provide oil, we provide protection. The Saudi's have overestimated what kind of protection they are entitled too in said relationship. They get gulf war style assistance against overt invasion, not needless attacks on Iran or Syria simply because they are Saudi rivals. The president needs to remind the royal family that they don't have the power to make such demands.

i believe he has and that is now why they are publicly pissed

 

[head of joaquin]

Saudi Arabia warns U.S. that policy on Syria, Iran straining decades-old alliance - CBS News

Saudi Arabia severs diplomatic ties with US over response to conflict in Syria | Mail Online



This is not good. Need to watch how this develops. Kerry better get his act together.

I disagree. Good riddance. We should never have supported that autocratic theistic monarchy, but arguably had to keep oil supplies flowing. 9-11, which was mostly the work of Saudis trained in the kingdom's extremist mosques, should have opened our eyes to the bad intent of the Saudis.

But now, we don't need Saudi oil supplies anymore (or not as much), due to increasing oil and gas production from fracking, so we don't need to cowtow to that backward country's retrograde policies.

Indeed I suspect the Saudis new anti-American stance in public has more to do with the development of our own oil and gas supplies than disagreements about Syria. The Saudis have consistently threatened the US with oil cut backs every time in the past we tried to increase our reserves or take other actions to avoid the Saudis oil stranglehold.

 

[Michael66]

More Obama administration incompetence on full display again. I think he is the first American president to find a way to get everybody else in the world mad at us. Most manage just to get a few.

You've made it clear that your own display is showing that because of your hate for Obama you are condemning him for what is obviously taking the high road with Iran and Syria. He's prevented war so far at least.

That's what the GOP wanted isn't it or is that what they didn't want or is that what they wanted?

And not only that, because of your Obama hate you would gleefully be on the side of the Saudis in their blackmail attempts against the US! Do you really think grownups take you seriously?

 

[MMC]

But...Bush!!! Bush ! Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuush!!!!

Its not ABOUT Bush. Its about THIS president...the guy that has been in power for the last 5 years...and his complete failure in foreign policy, especially w/ regard to Syria.

Heya VM.:2wave: Most don't want to admit they just like a lil Bush.

 

[head of joaquin]

Heya VM.:2wave: Most don't want to admit they just like a lil Bush.

Let's pretend that Bush's failed vanity wars didn't give Iran almost complete control of the region. Let's pretend.

 

[Michael66]

I disagree. Good riddance. We should never have supported that autocratic theistic monarchy, but arguably had to keep oil supplies flowing. 9-11, which was mostly the work of Saudis trained in the kingdom's extremist mosques, should have opened our eyes to the bad intent of the Saudis.

But now, we don't need Saudi oil supplies anymore, due to increasing oil and gas production from fracking, so we don't need to cowtow to that backward country's retrograde policies.

America does need Saudi oil so you're totally wrong. You shouldn't make rash claims on something you don't know anything about. Just the fact that the Saudis are trying blackmail should be enough to make you understand. Look up some numbers that tell you where the US gets it's oil and how much it uses every day.