"The Honeymoon's Over for Bush and the Saudis"

[G_j]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/27/AR2007042702054_pf.html

The Honeymoon's Over for Bush and the Saudis

By Martin Indyk
Sunday, April 29, 2007; B05

What has happened to the love affair between Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah and President Bush? Two years ago, down on the Texas ranch, they were photographed walking hand in hand. It was the beginning of a beautiful relationship: Bush dropped his demand for democratization in the puritanical kingdom, and Abdullah did his best to moderate oil prices. The dowry was a new U.S. arms deal for the Saudis. A second honeymoon was scheduled for this month, when Bush planned to host Abdullah for his first state visit.

So the White House was mightily perplexed when it was informed that the king's schedule didn't allow for a spring visit to Washington. Then, at an Arab League summit in Riyadh last month, Abdullah denounced the U.S. war in Iraq as an "illegitimate occupation." He also used the occasion to make up with Bush's bete noire, Bashar al-Assad, the brash Syrian president who had previously denounced the Saudi leader as "a dwarf."

What was going on? Simply put, the Bush administration had been listening to the wrong Saudi. Keen for any signs of hope in the region as Iraq spiraled downward, Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other senior U.S. officials had grasped at a grandiose regional game plan being pushed by Prince Bandar bin Sultan, formerly the Saudi ambassador in Washington and now Abdullah's national security adviser. But Bandar wasn't calling the shots; Abdullah was, and he has a very different way of doing business.

..more..

[pinto]

1. Excellent, if short, analysis piece. Thanks for the post.

(aside)

Martin Indyk, who served as assistant secretary of state for Near East affairs in the Clinton administration, is director of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution.

[SpiralHawk]

2. "Oh well, at least Jeff Gannon is happy about this." - Commander AWOL

"republicons like Jeffy can be such jealous, snippy wogs. Frankly, I'm glad it's over. I was getting soooo weary of the 'special' favors they demanded, and Jeffy's jealously about me and my THANG with the bin Laden Boyos was soooooo trite and tiring.

"Se la vie, as the French say (tee hee hee)."

- Commander AWOL confessing to Rosie on The View

[Toots]

3. I am pretty sure they don't like dealing with a woman either.

Considering how they feel about women in politics I am sure they don't feel it is proper to negotiate with a woman. Imagine an Arab King being told by a woman how he will behave and what his country will do......Bush* is even dumber than I first gave him credit for....

[sutz12]

4. I think it has more to do with which woman....

Madeline Albright did alright in ME politics. But of course, she had an advantage over Ms Rice. She knew what the fuck she was doing.

[ljm2002]

5. Thank you for posting this!

It gives the background information about Bandar's abrupt departure from Washington, and about the larger political landscape in the Middle East.

[G_j]

6. you're welcome

short, but of substance

[formercia]

10. Bandar reportedly suffering from 'Depression.'

I would be depressed if I found the World falling down around my ears.

[indie_voter]

7. Excellent piece. Thanks for the heads up

This should be a front page story for the post. It's devastating, and illustrates how dangerous the situation is right now.

[G_j]

8. k..

[Hekate]

9. Fascinating. KnR

:kick:

Hekate

[zippy890]

11. very interesting

we need to keep an eye on those Saudis, and what they are going to do - especially now that the bush regime is in steep decline politically.

kick
:dem:

[susu369]

12. "The decider"

Good one...

In Riyadh, at least, the king (Abdullah) is still the decider. And the king's worldview differs importantly from Bandar's.

[PATRICK]

13. Or...

and forgive me for not having totasl trust in the perpescuity and honesty of WAPO, but could this be all cover and agreed upon distancing to protect the Bush allies from regional fallout(Iran or the other debacles). I would suspect zero change of heart except one might cynically say bosom crooks are falling out over disaster. How crooks love one another except when the heat is on.

Is this a cold ruse or real? Is suspect in either case it not much. The Bushes can collapse with or without the Saudis. Sauve qui peut. But in the shadows the old deals still are in place.

[G_j]

14. k