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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: D. Long who wrote (36613)	8/9/2002 9:47:13 AM
From: Hawkmoon	Respond to of 281500

Derek, The Saudis have been in a "competition" with Iran as the primary funding source for extremist palestinians. Since the Iranians decry the Saudis as corrupt and their Monarchy not in line with their theocratic ideology (Religious leadership should hold power in an Islamic state), both sides have effectively sought to directly influence the course that groups like Hamas and Hezbollah take. The Saudis know that if they leave funding strictly to Iran, the views of Tehran will dominate the extremist movement and undermine their legitimacy as caretakers of Islam's holy sites. Thus, they are in a contest to see who can display the greater extreme credentials with these terrorist groups, so they can avoid becoming targets themselves. But while the Ayatollahs see this as their "responsibility" to fund Islamic revolution in the Mid-East, the Saudis are likely much more pliable since they they are not (yet) ruled by Theocrats and will do whatever maintains them in power. And Saddam is in the middle of all of this trying to play both sides against the middle in order to eventually dominate both players, and funding whoever he feels provide him the greatest influence.. He's in a race with Iran to develop nukes as whoever possesses them will set political policy in the region and gain tremendous prestige. And this is why both Iraq and Iran must, IMO, have regime change. But Iraq will require a direct approach given Saddam's control over security, while Iran will hopefully collapse from within through demands for regimes change by its youth. And as the dominoes fall, the funding for ALL Islamic extremism will dry up. Hawk