Sands shift under House of Saud
By Tina-Marie O'Neill Dublin, Ireland, 11 August, 2002
The Saudi Royal family
Age: King Fahd: 80; Crown Prince Abdullah: 78
Appearance: Similar bearded appearance. Always dressed in traditional Islamic garb. Like ageing Saudi rockstars, they're rarely seen without heavy dark sunglasses
Newsworthiness:
Crucial in any US-led attack on Iraq, the unstable monarchy is clinging to power
The United States is facing the potential nightmare that Saudi Arabia, its pivotal long-time ally in the Middle East, may not support an attack on Saddam Hussein. Last Wednesday Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud al-Faisal went further and told the United States its forces would not be allowed to use its territory as a base in the event of such a military campaign.
Meanwhile, the US had distanced itself from a leaked think-tank recommendation that the United States `target' Saudi oilfields and financial assets if the Arab kingdom doesn't do more to fight terrorism.
The suggestion was made in a briefing to the Defense Policy Board, a group of intellectuals and former senior officials which advises the Pentagon
"Saudi Arabia supports our enemies and attacks our allies," the briefing said, describing Saudi as "the kernel of evil, the prime mover, the most dangerous opponent" in the Middle East.
Not only has all of this focused international attention on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the ruling Saudi elite, but it has also highlighted the previously unanticipated scale and severity of domestic unrest, and the fragility of the royal House of Saud.
Americans are all too aware that 15 of the 19 September 11 hijackers were Saudi nationals. A recent report presented to the Pentagon depicting Saudi Arabia as an enemy of the US has forced President George W Bush and his administration to re-evaluate its fair-weather friend and question US dependence on the faltering regime.
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