THE SAUDIS: WHERE DO THEY STAND?

Saudi Arabia is working to rehabilitate Iraq. But the United States stands in the way of the total rehabilitation of that regime, as it continues to dream of a successful coup. Pursuant to its new role as an activist country on behalf of Arab causes, under Abdallah, Saudi Arabia could not ignore Iraq's plight--albeit that plight is becoming softer by the day. Still, Saudi Foreign Minister, Saud al-Faysal, drew closer to Iraq, when he reminded the press in late April, 2002, that Iraq had committed itself not to ever repeat its 1990 adventure.

On May 11, an Iraqi delegation left to Saudi Arabia, headed by the Iraqi Minister of Industry and Minerals, to participate in an Arab conference. While the Saudis avoided direct comment about whether bilateral talks would be held, the Iraqi Minister was less circumspect: He expected such talks. Two days later, the Saudi deputy Foreign Minister, Prince Ahmad bin Abdel-Aziz, commented about the Iraqi visit. Iraq, he said, is a brotherly country, of which we're proud and about which we care; we feel for it. He added that cooperation between the Kingdom and Iraq was old and will continue. (SPC Note: Could it be that Abdallah has slated Prince Ahmad to be the Kingdom's official Arab patriot?)

Soon after Ahmad's statement, it was announced that Saudi exporters of goods to Iraq may use one border post, and may use the same post for "re-exporting" non-Saudi products.

But the campaign to impose Pax Americana in the Arab world will make it difficult for the Saudi government to fulfill its citizenry's wishes: that their country lead the Arab patriotic fight. Saudi Arabia will thus have to walk a tight rope, between on the one hand the policy of direct intervention by the United States, its foremost ally, and on the other, the Palestinians and those Arab countries and Iran who the U.S. President has branded as evil.