New Deal In Iraq Helped By Saudi Weapons Sale?

They've crafted a new political alliance in Iraq said to keep the government whole and pave the way for passing legislation urged by the Bush administration. It'll come under some fire, as it doesn't include the Sunnis. Previously, Saudi Arabia has talked of making trouble if it saw Iraqi Sunnis at risk. They still might depending on what this new coalition does. But I'd wager that along with balancing out a potential threat from Iran, selling the Saudis weapons probably bought some patience from them, as well. Arms for patience? Can they indict Bush for that?

BAGHDAD (AP) - Iraq's political leaders emerged Thursday from three days of crisis talks with a new alliance that seeks to save the crumbling U.S.-backed government. But the reshaped power bloc included no Sunnis and immediately raised questions about its legitimacy as a unifying force.

The new Shiite-Kurdish coalition will retain a majority in parliament—181 of the 275 seats—and apparently have a clear path to pass legislation demanded by the Bush administration, including a law on sharing Iraq's oil wealth among Iraqi groups and returning some Saddam Hussein-era officials purged under earlier White House policies.

The key disappointment was the absence of Iraq's Sunni Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi and his moderate Iraqi Islamic Party. That portends even deeper political divisions, but al-Maliki called the agreement "a first step."

"It is not final and the door is still open for all who agree with us on the need to push the political process forward," he said.

Comments

[bloodrage bob]

yeah, trusting our saudi friends to act honorably; and giving them weapons is a GREAT idea. after all, they've stood with us side-by-side in the name of freedom & tolerance, right? what could *possibly* go wrong?

[Phoenix]

phooey, BB. We sold all the 'good' countries weapons. That's called leveling the playing field and scaring the bully. I loved it when it happened and love it more now. They all hate the same bully and it behooves them to make sure Iraq does well. Brilliant psychological move.

[Purple Avenger]

We've been selling the Saudis weapons ever since they left the Soviet sphere of influence. This is nothing new.

[narciso]

They've never been in the Soviet influence; even at the start in the 30s; the Soviet envoy (who converted to Islam, like Philby and plays a not too small part in Tim Power's tale about the Philby
clan, djinni and the secret behind the Soviet Union; Declare) Wahhabism being the ultimate 'opium
of the masses' and Marxism don't mix. Our relations with the Saud clan, proceeds from a good deal of self deception; from Ibn AbdulAzzis's misreading fatwas to secure the ARAMCO concession, to the
lopsided diplomatic agreements, from 1945 on; that ensured that they "would use our steel, but we
would not touch their faith". Totalitarians think alike; re Vassiliev's almost hagiographic history
of the state, their zagat 'wurlitzer' the IIRO, WAMY, WML et al; spread through out the world from the 60s on; they along with the Soviets were the financiers behind the PLO; their preachers in the
Ulaama, lobbied for the Oil Embargo of '73, to punish us for saving Israel with the airlift. First, through Khashoggi, then Bin Mahfouz we sold them a great deal of equipment; including the Boeings
their countrymen used to hit us on 9/11. Through the Riggs Bank they financed at least two of the hijackers, a Pakistani microbiologist/germ warfare specialists; the late father of Jose Padilla's
El Shukrijumah; Leading families tied to the Sauds like the Quahtani's, Ghamdi's,Uteibi's et al
have given their fair share of martyrs in Fallujah, Mosul, Al Quiam Baghdad, et al; need to go on

[Phoenix]

We didn't just sell arms to Saudi, we sold them to all the 'modern' gulf states.

[chris]

Wasn't the DECIDER holding hands with the Saudi king a while back? And let's not forget ole Bandar Bush. You patriots really picked a winner!

[Phoenix]

You're just jealous, Chris.

[Rich Casebolt]

"... including the Boeings their countrymen used to hit us on 9/11."

Man, them Saudis are powerful ... not only were they able to repaint those planes with American Airlines and United Airlines colors and nomenclature, they were able to swap out the planes assigned to UA175, AA11, AA77, and UA93 and put "their" planes in their place on the tarmac at Boston Logan, Reagan National, and Newark Liberty.

People, let us understand the difference between the Saudi government, and the regimes of Saddam & Sons and Mamoud and the Mullahs: The Saudi government is not a monolith when it comes to treating America and the West as friend or enemy ... while some in it may covertly share the terrorists' mindset, those in ultimate control are not hell-bent on the destruction of the West.

Do they need to break their deal-with-the-devil that allows Wahabbism to flourish? Absolutely. But at present they are not the totalitarian, expansionist threat that Iraq was, and Iran is ... we can confront them in other ways besides war, leaving that option open if fanatics get the upper hand.

Keep in mind those two cities in western Saudi Arabia, that our enemies will wave in front of the world like bloody shirts if we were to invade, simply because our presence would "defile" them. The possible need to overthrow the royals, while still denying our enemies a propaganda victory UNPRECEDENTED in history, would best be facilitated by having Islamic allies available to control the area of Mecca and Medina.

Like, say, the Jordanian Army ... or an Iraqi Army under the control of a rights-respecting government.

Give us some credit for "nuance".