Military

August 26, 2002

ARAB MEDIA DECRY U.S. 'PRESSURE' ON EGYPT, SAUDI ARABIA

 

KEY FINDINGS

 

***  Arab media bemoaned U.S. "pressures" on Cairo stemming from the Saad Eddin Ibrahim case, and on Riyadh due to alleged Saudi support for anti-U.S. terrorism.

***  Many editorialists saw a concerted post-9/11 U.S. campaign to demonize and punish Arab nations that don't follow Washington's lead on Iraq and the Palestinian-Israeli dispute.

***  Citing the dangers of civil suits and USG-ordered seizure of assets, many Saudi commentators advised the kingdom's investors to disinvest from the U.S.

*** European and Saudi columnists noted that a U.S.-Saudi split would only "play into UBL's hands."

 

MAJOR THEMES

 

Anger over U.S. 'intervention in Egypt's internal affairs'  Taking umbrage at the U.S.'s reported decision to halt new aid to Cairo after the Saad Eddin Ibrahim conviction, columnists side-stepped the verdict itself.  Instead, they attributed this "pressure" on Egypt to "a blind engine of revenge against Arabs" in the U.S. after 9/11.  Pro-government Al Akhbar said "Egypt cannot abandon its principles" in return for aid.  Opposition daily Al Wafd linked the administation's stand on new aid for Egypt with Cairo's refusal to go along with the war against Iraq and to put pressure on the Palestinians.  The paper called for Egypt to wean itself from U.S. aid:  "It is high time we stopped extending our hands to those who think we can sell our pride."

 

Reasoned rebuttal to Rand briefing, bitter astonishment at 9-11 lawsuit  Most Saudi papers reacted with relative equanimity to news reports that a Rand corporation briefing at the Pentagon had branded the kingdom "an enemy" of the U.S.  The temperate editorial response to the "wicked allegations" emphasized the "strong historical ties" between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.  Editorialists also applauded the Bush administration for its "quick response" and "good statements" disavowing the briefing's conclusions.  Commentary struck a more bitter tone was struck, however, after relatives of the 9/11 attacks filed an "astonishing" lawsuit against Saudi institutions and individuals.  Jeddah's conservative Al-Madina called the lawsuit "blunt political and financial blackmail."  Abha's moderate Al-Watan wondered if this was "how the U.S. rewards" the Saudis "who have proved their strong and faithful alliance" for 60 years.  Jeddah's moderate, English-language Saudi Gazette said the lawsuit damaged U.S. and Saudi "mutual interests" and that bin Laden would "have the last laugh" because of it.  Meantime, many outlets counseled Saudi investors that "the U.S. is no longer a safe place for investment."

 

 

EDITOR:  Steven J. Wangsness

 

             MIDDLE EAST

 

EGYPT:  "Tyranny Will Not Stop"

 

Leading pro-government Al Ahram columnist Salama Ahmed Salama wrote (8/21):  "From the moment Arabs succumbed to American pressures following 9/11 by accepting accusations blaming, in part, Islamic organizations in Arab countries, it has been clear that these pressures will not stop....  At this time, a blind engine of revenge against Arabs has been operating, mainly on Saudi Arabia....  There are many reasons for concern and, as the Saudi Al Riyadh newspaper demanded, American and international relations should be reviewed.  The matter is not confined to Saudi Arabia, for the U.S. has withheld additional aid to Egypt over the case of Saad Eddin Ibrahim.  What brought us down this road? Why are Arabs left standing and incapable of confronting this tyrannical power?"

 

"America Is Confused"

 

Dr. Abdel Atti Mohammed wrote in leading pro-government Al Ahram  (8/20):  "Almost a year after 9/11, and the U.S. policy towards the Arab world continues to be confused: its mind favors friendship, but its heart seeks revenge and punishment....  Continuing this confusion increases the lack of credibility of American policy in the region and deepens hate against the U.S. among extremist powers....  While the U.S. speaks of freedom of opinion and democracy, it constantly protests articles in the Arab press about its policies and even has protested some judicial rulings in Arab countries.  Arab public opinion sees all this as proof of lack of credibility in American discourse with the Arabs.  Arab opinion can understand the coercion about hitting Iraq and the American support for the division of Sudan only as interference in Arab internal affairs.  American pampering of Israel exacerbates this....  As a result, a U.S. policy of punishment against Arab nations will only reap hatred."

 

"Stop Extending Your Hands"

 

Opposition Al Wafd's columnist Gamal Badawy noted (8/20):  "Any patriotic Egyptian has reservations about foreign assistance...lest a foreign factor touch national independence and Egyptian dignity....  (American) aid opened the gates of the region to American presence allowing American companies and banks to penetrate Egypt....  (That was true) until Bush came to the White House and made confusing and random decisions, the latest of which is his country's involvement in the Saad Eddin Ibrahim case.  He imagined it could be the way into twisting Egypt's arms....  His conduct was stupid and foolish; any respectable government, even if they intended to release the man would not do so now.  So, cut the aid....  Egyptians will be relieved....  It is high time we stopped extending our hands to those who think we can sell our pride in return for a handful of dollars."

 

"Importance Of Mutual Respect In International Relations"

 

Leading pro-government Al Ahram editorialized (8/19):  "Managing relations among countries based on mutual respect requires the U.S. to forget the idea of exerting economic pressure, because this creates an unfavorable climate and resentful public feelings that are unsuitable for developing these relations in favor of the two nations.  Egypt is a major regional country and plays a pivotal role in making peace in the region.  On the contrary, Israel, which obtains the U.S. satisfaction, occupies the land of others, practices terrorism and commits massacres.  Egypt is also one of the important Third World countries and has the most ancient and most important civilization and continues to play a leading role in Arab culture.  Can any one imagine that the arms of this country can be twisted?  Egyptian-American relations were founded on mutual respect and a network of huge economic, political, and security interests.  If the U.S. presents economic aid to Egypt, Egypt gives great support for the U.S. in many other aspects.  Even concerning economic assistance, the conditions for this assistance open the way for American companies and exports in Egypt.  Moreover, Egypt is one of the few countries which achieved a trade surplus for the U.S. that exceeds by far the size of American assistance to Egypt."

 

"America Does Not Want Friends Or Allies, Only Agents"

 

Aggressive pro-government Al Akhbar commented (8/19):  "In an American administration statement that lacks decency, civilization and abidance by the rules governing relations with friends and allies, the U.S. announced it would prevent additional aid to Egypt.  Egyptian FM Maher announced that Egypt cannot abandon its principles, which means Egypt does not need American assistance that links food with harm, and that implies punishing Egypt for its basic positions.  However, America does not admit equality in relations.   It does not want friends or allies; it only wants agents, which is unacceptable....  This announcement coincided with the families of the 9/11 victims filing for compensation from Saudi Arabia because these families claim that Saudi princes are involved in the 9/11 attacks....  The Americans are using accumulated billions of Arab and Muslim money.  The Americans are not giving the world anything that shows that this superpower respects the values of civilization--which Muslims know well."

 

"Unacceptable Intervention Even From Friends"

 

Columnist Ahmed El-Guindy wrote in aggressive pro-government Al Akhbar  (8/19):  "Needless to say, all Egypt's people, parties, organizations, government and media reject the American intervention in Egypt's internal affairs and do not accept pressures from the U.S. or others on Egypt's judiciary....  Respect for the judiciary and guaranteeing justice in a country are the most important indicators of civilization....  The American reaction was based on the immediate American Embassy reaction which ignored facts in this case.  This does not acquit the embassy of ill intentions.  I could not imagine that the case of an individual carrying dual nationality could raise all this commotion and harm natural relations between the two countries, unless the U.S. has other motives of which we are not aware or the U.S. does not dare announce."

 

"To Protect Independence Of Decision"

 

Columnist Nabil Zaki, writing in opposition Al Wafd observed (8/19):  "The government should search for means to get rid of U.S. assistance to protect the independence of the Egyptian decision. The American president [said] the reasons behind the U.S. decision to withhold additional aid to Egypt is the U.S. dissatisfaction with the trial of Saad Eddin Ibrahim....  If we think the U.S. has decided to defend freedom and democracy we are mistaken.  In fact, the U.S. was pressuring a number of regimes in the region so that they would fulfill strategic goals for America....  The U.S. itself has become a police-governed country and new American laws give the police the right to search any American house without notice....  If the U.S. will use this assistance as a political tool whenever there are differences between the two countries, Egypt should reconsider accepting U.S. assistance altogether."

 

SAUDI ARABIA:  "Re-examine Future Of Arab Capital In U.S."

 

London's influential, Al-Sharq Al-Awsat ran a commentary by Fahmy Huwaidy(8/26):  "We can no longer ignore elements of risk in the U.S. markets.... Furthermore, we see an American administration manipulated by ultra conservatives who are possessed by dreams of an American empire that controls the resources of the entire world.... I think it is extremely important to subject the future of Arab capital in the U.S. to discussions in a closed meeting for concerned businessmen."

 

"Attacks On Kingdom Continue"

 

Makkah's conservative, Al-Nadwa demanded (8/24):  "The U.S. administration, which fully understands the truth, should educate the U.S. public about motivations of the Zionist circles.  The Kingdom was never an enemy of the U.S. and has never participated in funding of any terrorist activities.  Furthermore, the Kingdom was, and for long periods, a victim of well-known terrorist acts, and it still suffers from terrorist operations on its soil."

 

"Bush-Bandar Meeting"

 

Makkah's conservative, Al-Nadwa editorialized (8/25):  "The scheduled meeting between President Bush and Prince Bandar bin Sultan the Saudi Ambassador to the U.S. on Tuesday... represents a new step in enhancing relations and strengthening of existing mutual understanding between the two countries.  This meeting has a special importance since it comes after strong anti-Saudi media campaigns in the United States.... It will confirm to those who attack the Kingdom that the U.S. cannot relinquish its relationship with the Kingdom and its role."

 

"Our Businessmen Have No Influence In The U.S."

 

Managing editor Abdulwahab Al-Faiz wrote in Riyadh's conservative, Al-Riyadh (8/25):  "We have discovered that the trade partnerships which link many of our businessmen with their U.S. counterparts do not have the great influence that we thought.... Certainly we do not expect the influence to be so great as to bring changes in (political) strategies, but at least we look for an influence that contains and limits tendencies, endorsed by well-known powers in the U.S. society, that aim to destroy relations between the two countries. ...Our large investments in the United Sates...have not turned into public diplomacy."

 

"Bitter Ally"

 

Jihad al Khazen, columnist for London's Al Hayat, opined (8/24):  "Do Egypt and Saudi Arabia realize the degree of threat they face from the United States, their bitter ally?  The Bush administration wants to end the hostile feeling against the U.S. by spreading democracy through creating a freer press, active local governments and influential civil organizations.... But the problem...is in the fact that what the U.S. claims that it wants to achieve in our countries is truly missing. The absence of democracy in the Arab countries allows the Bush administration to demand to rule those countries.....  The Arab countries suffer all the ills that the Americans are talking about, but had Egypt and Saudi Arabia and others stopped supporting the Palestinians and agreed to join the coming U.S. war on Iraq, would the talk on reform and democracy have surfaced? What the Bush administration wants is to have the Arab and Muslim ignore their traditions and adhere to ones devised in Israel, and this will not be."

 

"We Should Always Support a Just Cause"

 

Commenting in independent English-language Jedda Arab News, Nurah Abd-al-Aziz al-Khuraynij wrote (8/23):  "Saudi Arabia has been subjected to continual vilification and blackmail.  Both the Saudi and U.S. governments have been striving to pacify the Saudi people who were angered by an American report portraying Saudi Arabia as one of the worst enemies of the U.S....  It was amid [these] efforts...that a U.S. attorney filed a suit...demanding...trillions of dollars for the relatives of the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks....  How can anyone blame a country, government or organizations for crimes they did not commit?...  I am sure that most American people do not agree with their government's hostile policies....  The U.S.media feed incorrect information to the public about Arab and Muslim problems....  It is an undeniable fact that the Zionist lobby...controls the U.S. media....  Under these circumstances, the best course of action for our banks and charitable organizations is to withdraw their accounts, deposits and investments from the U.S....  Most importantly, we should not be deterred by the barrage of baseless allegations from certain quarters concerning terrorist connections....  We should continue our struggle with donations for the liberation of the occupied territories and the families of the fighters for God's cause wherever they are....  We should always support a just cause."

 

"Fund Flow"

 

Independent English-language Jedda Arab News editorialized (8/22):  "Ever since Sept. 11, there has been repeated speculation about whether or not Saudi investors would pull their money out of the U.S., either because of fears of financial recriminations or...the fragile state of the U.S. economy.  For the past eleven months, it has been just that--speculation....  But just because there is no evidence of massive amounts of Saudi money moving out of the U.S. into Europe...does not mean that investors are not thinking about it.  There is now a sense that the U.S. is not as safe, not as rewarding and certainly not as welcoming and friendly as it was.  In time, that is bound to have major consequences."

 

"Saudis Do Not Want to Lose U.S. Friends"

 

Columnist Abd-al-Rahman al-Rashid wrote in independent Riyadh Daily (8/22):  "Within the Kingdom, many writers have advocated the withdrawal of Saudi capital from American banks and boycotting American goods in response to a lawsuit filed by the relatives of the victims of September 11 and the media campaign against the Kingdom....  The Saudis, despite the difficult circumstances they are going through, will not resort to solutions offered by Saddam Hussein and other Arab radicals who have harmed themselves with their unwise decision of confronting a superpower....  The Saudis are not keen on losing their friends in the U.S. The Saudis, who have wisely and patiently contained their disputes with their weak neighbors should also work tirelessly to settle their disputes with the powerful countries."

 

"Not In Saudi Interest To Engage In A Confrontation With U.S."

Saudi Ambassador to London Dr. Ghazi Al-Qusaibi, in an op-ed piece in London's pan-Arab Al-Hayat wrote (8/21):  "The United States has invested huge amounts of capital in large industrial projects in the Kingdom, it remains a major source for advanced technology, and thousands of Saudi students are still enrolled in American universities.  In a world controlled by a sole power, it is foolishness to become unfriendly with that power....  The talk about Saudi Arabia's funding of terrorism is nonsense....  We must tirelessly repeat this fact for the Americans....  Engaging in a frank dialogue, an extremely frank dialogue, is only rational way to deal with the U.S."

"Withdraw Your Money"

Riyadh's conservative Al-Riyadh carried an op-ed commentary by Saudi writer Abdulwahed Al-Homaid, who wrote (8/21):  "It is irrational that, while the Kingdom seeks to attract foreign capital to invest in Saudi Arabia, hundreds of billions of Saudi dollars remain invested in the U.S. and elsewhere outside of our borders....  Finally, all must understand that this (current) American blackmailing, which now looks like a foolish joke, might later turn serious.  The U.S. has frozen money belonging to other countries in the past.  Nothing prevents her from doing the same to us....  National and personal interests require us to seriously consider withdrawing our money from the United States, which is no longer a safe place for investment."

"U.S.-Saudi Relations At Public Opinion Court"

London's pan-Arab Al-Hayat, in a front-page news analysis by Riyadh bureau chief Dawood Al-Shiryan, observed (8/18):  "The development of the American anti-Saudi campaign from press articles to consultative reports to lawsuits made some (Saudis) believe that what is going on is a part of a planned goal that grows by time to achieve its end at an appropriate time."

 

"Friends Of Terror"

 

Jeddah's moderate, English-language Saudi Gazette demanded (8/18):  "Let us have a look at the purpose and targets of the lawsuit in a dispassionate manner.  What does Bin Laden seek?  The answer is simple.  He wants to destroy the good relations between Saudi Arabia and the U.S.  That exact same thing is being sought by the motley crowd of America's legal outlaws.  The lawsuit's main achievement will be nothing but creating enmity between the two historic friends.  It will damage their mutual interests.  Who but Osama Bin Laden will have the last laugh?"

 

"Who Deserves Compensation?"

 

Jeddah's conservative Al-Madina editorialized (8/17):  "The lawsuit is blunt political and financial blackmail.  The financial part of it is run by lawyers skilled in fabrication of evidence in the midst of a political, moral and cultural anti-Arab environment, especially since 9/11.  Politicians, who after 9/11 developed the ambition to build an empire, run the political part of it and thought that 9/11 was the first bullet in its battle plan....  Let the Saudi money invested there (in the U.S.) understand it is time for its return and participation in the development of our country."

 

"Is This How The U.S. Rewards Its Allies?"

 

Abha's moderate Al-Watan opined (8/17):  "The U.S. trained terrorists on American soil.  It refused to receive Bin Laden from Sudan in 1996....  It would be appropriate for the families of 9/11 to file their lawsuit against the U.S....not against Saudis who have proved their strong and faithful alliance with repeated U.S. administrations during the last sixty years."

 

"Unbreakable Strong Relations"

 

Dammam's moderate Al-Yaum editorialized (8/15):  "The quick response [to reported Rand report on Saudi Arabia] by Washington motivates us to assert that U.S.-Saudi relations will remain strong and steady regardless of anti-Saudi media campaigns.  Those (media) lies will not have any impact on the relationship between the two friendly countries....  The good statements by the U.S. administration in response to those media circles and its confirmation of its deep relationship with the Kingdom was a strong response to those reports."

 

"Lost Balance"

 

Jeddah's moderate, English-language Saudi Gazette editorialized (8/15):  "Hawkish elements in American public life have launched attacks on European indifference and Saudi passivity regarding the U.S. war on terrorism....  Have Saudi Arabia and the United States reached some kind of a turning point in their relations?  Only if Washington succumbs to the siren voices of the more hawkish elements within the Bush administration and elsewhere.  Will that happen? Who knows? It all depends on the quality of the advice and information that Washington receives, and if the Rand report is anything to go by that leaves a lot to be desired."

 

"U.S. And Saudi Arabia:  Mutual Interests And International Responsibilities"

 

Riyadh's moderate Al-Jazira pointed out (8/14):  "It is true that the U.S. and Saudi Arabia have different view points toward the (Palestinian-Israeli) conflict but this disagreement does not prevent them working together to remove obstacles which would pave the way for a comprehensive and just solution....  In this respect the Kingdom greatly values the good statements by the U.S. in response to reports on their bilateral relations and attempts by some in the U.S. to undermine this relationship.  This U.S. response would definitely enhance those relations and show its keenness to maintain them."

 

"Lines Of Conspiracy"

 

Jeddah's conservative Al-Madina editorialized (8/13):  "The strong U.S.-Saudi relations do not need proving.  The disagreement between the two countries in points of view over some issues and events does not mean at all the presence of a big gap....  The attempt by some to fish in troubled waters and to take advantage of the recent U.S. (Pentagon) report on the Kingdom (is intended) to harm the strong relations which bond the two countries."

 

"Saudi Arabia And The U.S.:  Strong Historical Relations"

 

Jeddah's moderate Al-Bilad opined (8/13):  "The council of ministers in its regular weekly meeting yesterday discussed...the media reports about the bilateral relations between the U.S. and the Kingdom....  But U.S.-Saudi relations remain strong and unbreakable by false allegations circulated by suspected groups....  The confirmation by Saudi and U.S. officials of the strong relations between them comes as a decisive response to those wicked allegations that try to disturb the peaceful waters between the two friendly countries."

 

WEST BANK:  "U.S.-Saudi Relations"

 

Sayed Ahmed commented in independent Al-Quds (8/23):  "The ability to overcome the obstacles that have confronted U.S.-Saudi relations...is an indication that this relationship...is based on strategic and firm ground.. In the past, any crisis between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia has involved some general Arab or Islamic matter, including that of the Palestinian problem.  This time, however, the crisis directly deals with a bilateral issue.. It is not clear how much effect or change this crisis will have....  But there is no doubt that the two countries have entered a different level of relations, which will require a different vision and different measures to be taken.in order to safeguard their relationship in spite of the changing circumstances."

 

"America Lets Down Its Friends"

 

Hamtim Abu Sha'ban opined in independent Al-Quds (8/21):  "The United States has no real friends in the Arab world.  The United States' interests define its relations with Arab countries.  When Egypt announced its national position, opposing an attack against Iraq, the United States got annoyed and immediately abandoned its friendship with Egypt, cutting its financial aid to the country.  The United States is treating Saudi Arabia in a similar manner, despite the fact that Saudi Arabia has been a close friend to the United States.  This American position towards Saudi Arabia is mainly due to the Saudis' unwillingness to allow American troops to use its territory as a base for attacking Iraq."

 

JORDAN:  "Confronting The U.S. Attack Against Saudi Arabia And Egypt"

 

Daily columnist Yaser Za'atreh wrote in center-left, influential Al-Dustour (8/20):  "There is no doubt that the American vicious attack against Egypt and Saudi Arabia is just another episode in attempts to reshape the Middle East since September 11.  This reshaping would be of a different style, not so much towards Zionist hegemony in the region, but rather towards a new style of Arab relations with the United States, where U.S. dictations are not subject to arguments.. Some people do not want to understand that what is coming is far more serious, unless there is Arab unity and coordination.. It is important that the American attack against Egypt and Saudi Arabia constitute an Arab awakening that restores leverage for the forces of resistance and the language of defiance."

 

"Where Is America Taking This Region?"

 

Daily columnist Jamil Nimri wrote in independent, mass-appeal Al-Arab Al-Yawm (8/20):  "Arabs are angry at the United States for shifting its attention from the bloodshed in Palestine towards the unjustifiable objective of striking Iraq, and for the United States to provoke Egypt and Saudi Arabia is incomprehensible.  No sane administration of a superpower would do something like that.  The current U.S. administration seems to only want to antagonize the regimes.  There is only one explanation for this, namely that the U.S. administration cares nothing for American interests, only Israeli interests."

 

"Reviewing Arab-American Relations"

 

Chief Editor Taher Udwan of independent, mass-appeal daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm wrote (8/19):  "The 'war on terrorism' that the Bush administration announced is shifting away from its original objectives of pursuing Al-Qa'eda and moving towards pursuing Arab regimes without discrimination....  Day in and day out, it becomes clear that the Iraqi regime is not the only target in this war on terrorism.  There are targets that are being created in the Arab world by the warmongers in the Pentagon.  Would that these developments push the Arab countries towards an organized and responsible reassessment of Arab-American relations before the iron gets too hot."

 

"A New Form Of International Relations"

 

Daily columnist Mazen Saket, writing in center-left, influential Al-Dustour opined (8/19):  "The American war against terrorism is expanding in our Arab region and is turning into an attack against all those who disagree with the United States and fail to do its bidding....  The media campaign against Saudi Arabia continues...and political and economic pressures against Egypt increase....  We can almost be certain that the U.S. plans for and pressures on the countries of this region are behind the recent media campaign against Jordan.  It is an America campaign that seeks to force moderate political regimes to go along with American schemes and even take part in them....  The U.S. administration's new form of relations with the Arabs is not a reaction to the September 11 attacks, nor is it a defense of American interests or a war against terrorism and extremism; it is a return to colonization."

 

"American Intervention In Egypt And Iraq"

 

Daily columnist Fahd Fanek wrote in semi-official, influential Al-Ra'i (8/19):  "The U.S. government is free to do what it feels like with its taxpayers' money.  The countries that receive this assistance know that such assistance depends on the donor countries' approval of their conduct.  Even the nature of the American 'intervention' is not clear.  The human rights activist Saad Eddin Ibrahim is an American citizen after all, and as such, the United States must try to help him out.  The flagrant and blatant type of American intervention is the one that is happening in Iraq, [not Egypt]."

 

"When America Stands By An Individual At The Expense Of A Friendly Country"

 

Columnist Rakan Majali, in center-left, influential Al-Dustour commented (8/18):  "It is ugly and frightening this blatant meddling in the affairs of other countries by the U.S. government....  We have never imagined that a superpower would intervene on behalf of an individual and would surpass the sovereignty and will of a friendly country like Egypt, that has followed the United States and bore the consequences of the Arab boycott after signing the Camp David agreement, because it believes in the friendship and good intentions of the United States."

 

"The Crisis Of U.S. Relations With Saudi Arabia And Egypt"

 

Semi-official, influential Al-Ra'i editorialized (8/18) :  "As the drums of war are beating in the region with America targeting Iraq on the pretext of owning mass-destruction weapons, the growing crisis between Washington on one hand, and Riyadh and Cairo on the other is a serious indication of the future of the traditionally friendly relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia and Egypt....  It is wise not to ignore the repercussions and effect of the September 11 event on those relations.  Having said that, the extremist right-wing within the Bush administration did succeed in employing the fact that 15 out of 19 people who flew the planes against New York and Washington were Saudi; and a campaign of instigation against the Saudi leadership and their system of education was launched.  This fed into the pro-Israel Zionist lobby's campaign to attack and defame Islamic and Arab values."

 

"Saad Eddin Ibrahim Phenomenon"

 

Daily columnist Jawad Bashiti wrote in independent, mass-appeal Al-Arab Al-Yawm (8/18):  "Day in and day out, our governments suffer, and we do as well by default, humiliation by the Americans....  Bush's jails, inside and outside the United States, are filled with innocent Arabs.  Yet, Bush did not make a move except when he heard of Saad Eddin Ibrahim's imprisonment, the incarceration of someone he believes is the 'good Arab'."

 

IRAN:  "U.S. Anti-Saudi, Anti-Egypt Policies Should 'Sound The Alarm'"

 

Ali Fatemi commented in pro-Khatami English-language Tehran Iran Daily (8/22):  "Recently tension has escalated between the U.S. and some Middle East governments seen as traditional allies of the superpower.  Some Arab states for some time now have been protesting America's hostile policies towards Muslims and its blind support for Israeli massacres of Muslims....   These antagonistic policies more or less stem from the extensive influence of the Zionist lobby in America.  They also indicate the Zionists are attempting to plot a new confrontation between America and Islamic states....  Bush's America does not treat its regional friends and allies on the basis of reciprocity and mutual interest, rather it wants them to endorse and unconditionally back all its policies....   It seems that if Bush continues his arrogance and regional politicians prefer to remain sort of indifferent, unwanted consequences will await the entire region.  America's anti-Saudi and anti-Egypt policies should sound the alarm for regional powers."

 

LEBANON:  "Before And After Iraq"

 

An editorial by Sahar Baasiri in moderate, anti-Syrian An-Nahar stated (8/17):  "Everything that was said and written, publicly and secretly...about the meaning of the fact that 15 Saudis out of 19 implemented the [9/11] attacks, and about American pressures on Saudi Arabia to stop its assistance to religious schools around the world...have exploded in the U.S. as a form of public antagonism against Saudi Arabia....  Washington, in its new position on Saudi Arabia and Egypt...seems to be standing at the verge of a complete change in its political policies....  This means that the war against Iraq is no longer a war to oust Saddam Hussein, but also a starting point for setting up new regimes in the region."

 

"Bush Is Playing With Fire In The Middle East"

 

 Pro-Sunni Al-Liwa' editorialized (8/19):  "It seems that the world today is living in the age of the dictatorial American globalization which is trying to impose American hegemony on...the whole world...under the pretext of war on terrorism....  This will put American interests and relations with friends and allies in grave danger....  Following the series of antagonistic (American) positions against Arabs, which reached their peak in the continuous campaign against Saudi Arabia...Egypt...Syria, and Lebanon...it will be no exaggeration to say that the U.S. foreign policy is similar to a person trying to play with fire."

 

"What Does America Do To Friends Before Enemies?"

 

Rafiq Khoury, in centrist Al-Anwar editorialized (8/17):  "If Saudi Arabia has become an enemy of America after sixty years of alliance, then who is the friend?"

 

SYRIA:  "A Few Unanswerable Questions"

 

Dr. Yahia Aridi, a commentator in government-owned Syria Times, wrote (8/26): "Who would believe that Saudi Arabia--the closest Arab friend to the U.S.--is going through a smear campaign by the American press directed by those who hate both Saudi Arabia and America?  If they think the spread of democracy is the way that would make the world hate the U.S. less, those campaign leaders are completely mistaken; because without democracy people hate U.S. policies, what would happen if there was democracy?"

 

"Is There Time For Waiting?"

 

An unsigned editorial in government-owned Al-Ba'th said (8/18):  "The American argument for stopping aid to Egypt is based, on the surface, on a court sentence against an Egyptian [Saadeddin Ibrahim] who carries U.S. citizenship.  But there are innumerable other motives....  In the final analysis, they fall within the American campaign of pressure not only on Egypt but also Saudi Arabia...and naturally Syria....  We are facing a mounting campaign for which we find no justification other than American circles' backing continuing Israeli terrorism against Arabs."

 

TUNISIA:  "Middle East:  Egypt And Saudi Arabia In U.S. Sight"

 

Editor Manoubi Akrout of independent French-language daily Le Quotidien wrote (8/20):  "Like a child in front of his Playstation, Americans give more and more the impression of being completely cut off from reality.  They do not understand any more the suffering of the people or notions of justice, good and evil....  They must understand that nothing is possible in a region without reliable allies."

 

"Washington Opposes New Aid To Egypt:  Pretext To Control The Region"

 

An analysis by editor Mohamed Ali Ben Rejeb, in independent French-language daily Le Quotidien opined (8/17):  "The U.S. anger triggered by Saad Eddine Ibrahim's issue is only a U.S. pretext to put pressure on the Egyptian government....  Washington's campaign launched against Saudi Arabia is another example of these U.S. attempts to destabilize the region in aid of the Zionist lobby....  Whose turn will it be next?"

 

EUROPE

 

BRITAIN:  "Blatant Hypocrisy"

 

Writing in London's Independent, Adrian Hamilton opined (8/23):  "Even more extraordinary [than U.S. arguments about Iraq] are the arguments used to justify the latest object of Washington demonisation--Saudi Arabia....  What's changed is not Washington's understanding of the regime, but its view of its threat to America.  If it weren't for Saudi links with al-Qa'ida, no amount of stoning for adultery would make any difference to U.S. attitudes....  Such blatant hypocrisy has done much to undermine the international goodwill that America garnered in the first months after the twin towers, particularly in the Arab world."

 

"Slapping Egypt's Wrist"

 

An editorial in the independent weekly Economist stated (8/23):  "Foreign aid, when not strictly humanitarian, is a political instrument, to be given or withheld for reasons of enlightened self-interest....  It could, perhaps, turn out to be the start of something important: America using aid and influence to encourage an opening up of the closed Arab world....  If it is a limited slap on the wrist, the affair could fade into being no more than a blip in the relations between two countries that need each other....  But it could evolve into a much wider message, signaling a switch in America's traditional priorities....  Political America has recently been giving voice to its reservations about undemocratic Saudi Arabia, and the Saudis have been responding angrily.  Holding back aid to Egypt is an excellent sign, albeit symbolic."

 

"Handling The House Of Saud"

 

An editorial in the independent Financial Times stated (8/21):  "For decades U.S. policy in the Middle East has sought to reconcile the irreconcilable.  It has tried simultaneously to support Israel and defend the Arab states which are the most important suppliers of its oil, especially Saudi Arabia.  Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, that balancing act has become ever more difficult to sustain....  The growing divide between Washington and Riyadh is also exactly what Osama bin Laden was working for....  The Saudis... will not be able to escape the pressure to open up their system.  But President George W. Bush needs to consider whether it is truly in U.S. interests to alienate Saudi Arabia now, when he is already in a deepening confrontation with the other leading powers in the Gulf, Iraq, and Iran."

 

FRANCE:  "Dangerous Tension Between Washington And Riyadh"

 

Right-of-center Les Echos editorialized (8/22):  "The Gulf War in 1991 changed the equation that governed relations between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia since 1945.. The attacks of Sept.11 have accentuated the tension, even if the U.S. continues to stress that Saudi Arabia is an ally.  The fact is that relations between these two countries are strained.  Many Americans suspect Riyadh of using its petrodollars to finance international terrorism..  And in Saudi Arabia, there is a new and distinct feeling of mistrust (towards the U.S.)..  The rumor that President Bush may be getting ready to unveil a campaign in favor of economic and political reforms in the Middle East will trigger even more resentment in Saudi Arabia, a nation that is no model for democracy."

 

GERMANY:  "Saudi Dollars"

 

Rolf Paasch said in an editorial in left-of-center Frankfurter Rundschau (8/23):  "Saudi-U.S. relations can be described as 'no more friend but not yet enemy'..  The Saudis no longer know what to think of the United States.  First, they are pampered as a 'trailblazer' for a war against Saddam, then they are defamed as 'enemy'."...  People in Riyadh say that Washington does not know what it wants--and are right.   The more President Bush makes the anti-terror war the pivotal point of his foreign policy, the more he is jeopardizing traditional alliances.  Thus the German-American quarrel is now followed by the Saudi-American dispute.  The latter could very well offer an opportunity for the Bush administration to clarify embattled relations if the U.S. government replaced its friend-foe thinking with a consistent support of democracy."

 

"Hostile Friendship"

 

Silke Mertins wrote in an analysis in business daily Financial Times Deutschland of Hamburg (8/15):  "For decades, changing U.S. presidents looked at relations with Saudi Arabia through rose-tainted spectacles of joint oil interests.  [U.S.] complaints about human rights and democracy were lodged elsewhere....  The war on terrorism has revealed that the U.S.-Saudi friendship was unsoundly based.  The closeness between the two nations has always been an illusion....  Even the strategic interests of the two nations overlapped only in a few aspects....  Reliable alliances can exist only among democracies, but a democratization of Saudi Arabia could put at risk the country's course to the West, since growing social tensions are now putting pressure on the Saudi monarchy.  In addition, the persistence with which many Saudis see the terrorist attacks in the United States as a conspiracy of the CIA or Mossad against the Arabs show how dangerous isolation can be."

 

BELGIUM:  "U.S.-Saudi Relations"

 

Foreign affairs writer Ludwig De Vocht in financial daily De Financieel-Economische Tijd editorialized (8/22):  "Saudi Arabia is not happy with the image that it acquired after September 11 [nor] are the Saudis happy with America's Middle East policy....  In the meantime, anti-Saudi hawks (in the U.S.) are raising their voices....  Some already think about a puppet regime in oil-rich Iraq...as an alternative for Saudi Arabia....  The pressure exerted by the American hawks, the ensuing worsening of the American-Saudi relations and the possible departure of a number of American troops from Saudi territory play into the hands of former Saudi citizen Osama bin Laden."

 

DENMARK:  "Flight of Billions"

 

Nationwide centrist daily Copenhagen Politiken editorialized (8/22):  "Two hundred billion dollars is not small change, so it cannot avoid making an impression...when it is claimed that rich Saudi Arabians have transferred amounts of this magnitude out of the U.S....  It seems obvious to see this phenomenon...as an example of the amateur strategists around Bush shooting themselves in the foot [dreaming] out loud about a future when a democratic Iraq can be used as a basis for a hard course toward Saudi Arabia....The U.S. debate and the Saudis' furious reaction to it demonstrates that the U.S. alliance with the royal family in Riyadh is fundamentally problematic."

 

HUNGARY:  "Riyadh Between Two Fires?"

 

Conservative Hungarian daily Magyar Nemzet (8/26) held:  "The U.S.'s most faithful ally Saudi Arabia could easily become one of the 'evil' states.  If the United States succeeds in reforming the world's economy under the blanket of its fight on terrorism, the key to the Arab world could easily become Baghdad....  Saudi Arabia is caught between two fires.  If the country continues to pursue a Western-friendly political stance, the kingdom will loose credit with its own people.  But if Saudi Arabia goes against American democracy it can easily lose the support it has been receiving from the U.S. for several years."

 

IRELAND:  "U.S.-Saudi Friendship May Be Coming Asunder"

 

Michael Jansen commented in the liberal daily The Irish Times (8/23):  "The Saudi-U.S. alliance...came under considerable stress as soon as U.S. President George W. Bush moved into the White House.  By refusing to intervene in the increasingly bloody conflict between the Palestinians and Israel, he alienated pro-Western Arab rulers who feared...a violent popular backlash jeopardising their thrones....  Riyadh has, so far, refused to use oil as a political weapon.... This could change if the U.S....takes control of the Iraqi oil fields....  Anticipating such an eventuality, the Saudis have been seeking to consolidate the Arab front and to forge a regional politico-economic security bloc which includes Iran."

 

NORWAY:  "Saudi Dilemma"

 

Leading business daily Dagens Naeringsliv held (8/22):  "The relationship with Saudi Arabia is among the most sensitive problems for President George W. Bush's administration....  The U.S. must consider how the leadership of a medieval and anti-democratic clan in a desert kingdom sees [things].  There is little doubt that Bush's men and women do not like the situation--but at the same time are afraid to disturb a delicate balance....  The alternative to the al-Saud clan that controls the country is no West-oriented and democratic opposition....  American hawks nevertheless believe that something must be done, and the most extreme suggest occupying parts of Saudi Arabia.  There is hardly any doubt that...that the result would be a truly worldwide conflict between the U.S. and Islam.  Which is exactly what Osama bin Laden wants."

 

POLAND:  "Realpolitik Leading Astray"

 

Bronislaw Wildstein wrote in centrist Rzeczpospolita (8/25):  "The United States needs an ally in the Middle East, especially one that has authority in The Arab world, and one that provides almost one-fifth of U.S. oil imports....  But it is inconvenient for the most powerful liberal democracy, that made the defense of its values the motto of its global policy, to have an ally which blatantly questions such values....  Al Qaida was financed by Saudi nabobs, who were also connected with the ruling dynasty. This shows that 'realpolitik' which disregards values can be shortsighted.  America must change its policy toward Saudi Arabia, and the Saudi rulers would have to decide for a more consistent strategy."

 

RUSSIA:  "An Addition To The Axis of Evil"

 

Yuriy Tyssovsky said in reformist weekly Vek (8/16):  "Riyadh's so-called conservatism has long become a target of open and strong criticism from the U.S. media and prominent figures in the two major political parties.  Indeed, the Wahhabist ideology is a perfect spawning ground for Islamic extremism, including terror....  The United States has changed its attitude toward its 'strategic ally' in the Arab East, evidently unsure of its 'loyalty.'  That may cause a general review of policies in that region and changes in the 'global geopolitical configuration.'"

 

TURKEY:  "New Enemy Of The U.S.:  Saudi Arabia"

 

Necati Ozfatura wrote in conservative, mass-appeal Turkiye (8/15):  "The current U.S. administration has formed a Christian-Jewish alliance and started implementation of a sort of crusade against the Islamic world.  Policies pursued by Bush and Sharon are very much alike.  What we see in the global scale is 'Global McCarthyism.'  It seems the Pentagon hawks have declared Saudi Arabia a new enemy of the U.S.  If things continue the way that Washington designs and implements, I would not be surprised if Turkey is named as an enemy upon successful completion of an operation against Iraq."

 

EAST ASIA

 

JAPAN:  "Complicated Egypt/Saudi Arabian Ties With U.S."

 

The business-oriented Nihon Keizai observed (8/22):  "The U.S.'s relations with Egypt and Saudi Arabia, both moderate Arab nations, have become complicated....  Rising U.S. calls for human rights improvements and tougher anti-terrorism measures have driven the Egyptian and Saudi governments into a corner.....  Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks...some officials in the Bush administration have become skeptical about these two Arab allies as being a 'hotbed of Islamic fundamentalism' [and] are also dissatisfied with what they call these nations' inadequate cooperation in the ongoing anti-terrorism campaign....  Egyptian and Saudi leaders are eager to avoid a full showdown with the U.S. because they think U.S. investment is indispensable to their countries' economic reform and development."      

 

CHINA:  "An 'Expedient Marriage'"

 

Xia Yongmin and Yuan Qi commented in the official popular newspaper Beijing Morning Post (Beijing Chenbao) (8/13):  "The general public has noticed that during the recent period of time, the Saudi Arabian government has repeatedly expressed its opposition to the U.S. military plan against Iraq.  According to an American analyst, this attitude shown by the government of Saudi Arabia is actually a self-protection measure for the purpose of subsuming the dissatisfaction of the domestic religious extremists.  The U.S.-Saudi Arabia relationship is like an 'expedient marriage', because Saudi Arabia needs the U.S. and the latter cannot leave the former."

 

HONG KONG SAR:  "More Talk About U.S. And Saudi Arabia Becoming Enemies"

 

The pro-PRC Chinese-language Macau Daily News remarked in an editorial (8/12):  "The Washington Post revealed...a study...describing Saudi Arabia as a 'U.S. enemy'...  One point that people should pay attention to is that the report thinks that if the U.S. overthrows the Saddam regime and establishes a pro-U.S. government, Iraq would become the major oil exporter to the West.  The U.S. would no longer need to rely on Saudi Arabia.  These remarks are a major reason why the U.S. is willing to confront Saudi Arabia."

 

SOUTH KOREA:  "The U.S. Looks Strange"

 

Kim Soo-jong wrote in the moderate Hankook Ilbo (8/22):  "President Bush's...leadership style in international relations seems to be provoking anti-Americanism around the world....  The world is uneasy at the thought of a possible U.S. invasion of Iraq and the increasingly uncomfortable relations between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia....  The U.S. is once again under heavy criticism for its isolationist diplomacy....  The U.S. must have lost its mind in the wake of September 11.  While taking punitive actions it deemed inevitable against terror, the U.S. should have reflected on its role in the international community and showed a more cooperative attitude toward world affairs."

 

INDONESIA:  "U.S. Obsession Will Consume It"

 

Government-influenced,  Malay-language daily Berita Harian editorialized (8/22):  "Recently, Saudi Arabia has been described as the 'source of evil' and blamed as the main partner in the terrorism attacks towards the U.S....  As if that were not enough, Saudi assets may be frozen by the courts because of lawsuits filed by the relatives of the 9-11 attacks....  In response Saudi investors have now taken out US$100-$200 billion of investments....  More Saudi money is expected to leave the U.S....  America, in declaring its war against terrorism, has vowed to freeze the financial assets of any suspect organization.  However the habit of Washington of labeling whomever it chooses as 'terrorist' has only served to hurt itself."

 

VIETNAM:  "American-Style Friendship"

 

Manh Tuong wrote in Vietnam People's Army daily Quan Doi Nhan Dan, (8/23):  "Problems have arisen in U.S.-Saudi relations since Riyadh expressed it did not support the U.S. plan to...use force against Iraq....   Saudi press have said boldly that there are U.S. plots to put pressure on Saudi Arabia....  But one thing is obvious, that it is really difficult to be a friend of the U.S.  Friendship, in Washington's view, means one should listen to and satisfy the U.S.'s desires and interests.  If a country does not follow this 'unwritten law,' no matter how good its friendship with Washington is, it can be beaten by Washington's stick at any time."

 

##