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

To: Maurice Winn who wrote (134435)	5/26/2004 6:12:45 AM
From: Hawkmoon	Respond to of 281500

Look how much money Saudi Arabia is raking in now with oil and their production rate at all time highs. I think they will make sure King George II is very well looked after if he should lose the election. Maybe.. after all, they certainly OWE us for not taking this war against them, instead of Saddam.. It's controversial that we haven't taken more aggressive action against the Saudis for permitting, or in some cases, proliferating their Wahhabist beliefs throughout the region and creating a fertile ground for militancy. But I also believe that the repercussions of directly taking on the Saudis, or more specifically, their Wahhabist clerics, rather than giving them the opportunity to finally choose sides against Islamic militants within their own country, were far more grievous than the course of action that has been taken against Saddam's regime. The Saudis use their militants to rise to power and then turned around and slaughtered and suppressed them when they started to challenge their rule. I believe that by invading Iraq, the US was sending the message that it was time for them to "get the message" and do so again. Which, in the end, is better over the short term, if combined with much needed political and economic reforms within the kingdom.. We should keep in my mind that many of the democratic pundits I've listened to continue pointing out the Saudi connection to 9/11, as if they would have preferred taking military action against the Saudis over Saddam.. This is something that people should view with skepticism and concern.. It would require a far larger military effort and US presence in the region than anything Iraq is requiring. And it would put American troops smack dab on muslim holy ground. I'm no fan of what the Saudis have done over the past 10-20 years to promote Islamic militancy. But I also know that its better, with regard to limiting potential consequences, to nibble on the periphery than it is to strike at its heart. At least for now.. Hawk Hawk