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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Emile Vidrine who wrote (251652)	4/27/2002 4:36:55 PM
From: Tadsamillionaire	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 769670

The Saudi-Iranian Alliance United by oil. By Martin Sieff Saudi Arabia and Iran are regional rivals whose traditional approach to the Israel-Palestinian conflict has been diametrically opposite. But now they are moving closer together on that and other issues, with probable immense consequences for the United States and the entire world. Over the past 20 years, Saudi Arabia has been moderate on both global oil prices and in its approach to the Israel-Arab conflict. The Saudis strongly support the Palestinians. But until recently, that support has been low-key. And the Saudis, quietly, strongly supported the Oslo Peace Process over the past decade from its initiation in August-September 1993 to its breakdown after the July 2000 Camp David II summit. However, these relatively moderate policies have become increasingly hard-line over the past three years because of the replacement of the pro-American King Fahd by the tougher Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz and because of the collapse of the Oslo Process and start of the second Palestinian intifada. Now Saudi and Iranian policies on the Israel-Arab conflict are converging — although the domestic reasons for this are very different in each country. In Saudi Arabia, supporting the Palestinians is seen as a lightning rod to distract a population feared to be far more radical than its rulers. In Iran, supporting the Palestinians serves the same purpose. But there the aim is distract a population that is believed to be far less radical and hard-line than its leaders. The Bush administration has consistently wooed Saudi Arabia and turned a blind eye to the two-faced nature of many of its policies. At the same time, it has repeatedly ignored and failed to woo more moderate elements in Iran. President Bush's now famous — and notorious — inclusion of Iran in an international "axis of evil" in his State of the Union speech this year is widely regarded in Tehran and, indeed, throughout the region, as a crucial turning point. Since then, pro-American sentiments in Tehran have been less enthusiastically expressed and popular feeling has coalesced anew behind a government that, for all its faults, is seen as a representative of the national interest against a potential direct threat from the dominant superpower. Iran in contrast to Saudi Arabia has always been a hard-line hawk on the Israel-Arab conflict. All through the years of the Oslo Peace Process, its support for the Islamic Shiite fundamentalist Hezbollah, or Party of God, guerrilla group in southern Lebanon never wavered. Iran has also always been a hawk on setting global oil prices. That is because the Iranians know they do not have the luxury of time to take the long-term view. Their oil reserves are running out and they have to maximize revenues from them as fast as they can. To paraphrase John Maynard Keynes, in the long term, they may not be dead but they will be paupers. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, the Saudis could afford to take a long-term view of the oil market and allow prices remain relatively low. They did not want to kill the Reagan and Clinton-era economic booms in the United States as these were the driving forces in global economic growth and soaring demand for their product. Therefore during those two decades, Saudi energy and Israel-Palestinian conflict policies were both generally supportive of U.S. interests and initiatives nationalreview.com

To: Emile Vidrine who wrote (251652)	4/27/2002 7:26:47 PM
From: American Spirit	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 769670

You think only Jews see through Arab lies and hate terrorism? I'm Swedish-American A-hole, and I'm about as non-Jewish as you can get. In fact, I never even met a Jew until I was 14. Some in my family (of the Christian right) are even anti-semitic. But I'm not. I'm neutral. I blamed Israel equally until the events of this past six months. Your Intifada (or however it's spelled) is an evil mass murder campaign designed to destroy peace. very stupid too because you put Sharon in power and then you asked for a big whipping, and now you're getting it. Big surprise. You're a real paranoid idiot who needs psychiatric help. And if you are typical of those who represent pro-Arab views, I am even MORE sympethetic toward Israel and Arab profiling at our borders. To be surrounded by hateful nuts like you is the best excuse Israel could ever have for military action. If you think you are convincing anyone of anything with this "Zionist" talk except to dislike you, you're wasting your time. You are the worst ambassador to your cause I have ever encountered on these threads. Well, there are a few other nuts too but you do take the cake. Quit blaming the Jews for your problems and go home and fight terrorism. Teach the kids not to throw rocks and the men not to blow up buildings full of innocent civilians. Do the world some good for a change. If the terrorism stops Israel will be no problem at all, except to Islamic extremists who just want war and will start bombing again for no reason but jealous anti-semitism. Those people are the real enemies of the arab world now. The terrorists. They are responsible for every casualty in Palestine. Any country that supports terrorism deserves to be severely punished. That's the new rule. OK? Understand? Is that your real name, by the way? Someone ought to report you to the FBI and Interpol. We don't want your type in any western country anymore. You've proven you don't deserve our hospitality. But maybe a nice Cruise missile.

To: Emile Vidrine who wrote (251652)	4/27/2002 8:58:20 PM
From: Brumar89	Respond to of 769670

What I believe and speak at home and at work is what I write on SI! Hey, this conflicts with what you said about yourself recently. In the post below you clearly state that your wife (who is the family bread-winner) forbids you to talk about "politics" at home. I'm not at all surprised, though - I mean you are a pathetic kook, after all. Message 17379561 ...to keep this relationship she forces me to wash the dishes almost every night and to limit my political discussions to the Rotary Club elections. Oh some more observations - you seem to be getting a lot nastier on a personal level with the folks you post to - at least the ones you fantasize are Jews. Like this: Hey Jewish-American liar... And this begging people to "Give us your real name" is worrisome too. You're getting more and more disturbed I think. Get some counseling before something bad happens.