U.S. foreign policy toward Saudi Arabia hypocritical

Slipping by the mainstream media coverage of President George W. Bush’s recent trip to the… Slipping by the mainstream media coverage of President George W. Bush’s recent trip to the Middle East was an important document released after Bush met with Saudi Arabian leaders, titled “Fact Sheet: Strengthening Diplomatic Ties with Saudi Arabia: United States And Saudi Arabia Improve Peace And Stability In The Region Through Nuclear Cooperation.”

At first, the document seems benign until the fourth bullet of the plan. It states, “This agreement will pave the way for Saudi Arabia’s access to safe, reliable fuel sources for energy reactors and demonstrate Saudi leadership as a positive non-proliferation model for the region.”

This is absolutely unbelievable and unacceptable. Bush has used his latest trip to the Middle East to further his campaign against Iran while establishing close ties with Saudi Arabia, which has done as much, if not more, than what Bush has blasted Iran for doing. For the last two years, the Bush administration has been charging Iran with various offenses in the Middle East.

First, the statements issued by the White House alleged that Iran was developing nuclear technology for the construction of nuclear arms. These statements were proved to be misleading and false once the International Atomic Energy Agency, the authority on nuclear technology, issued its report outlining the cooperation between the Iranian government and the IAEA to insure that the nuclear plants built were for civilian use only. Next, reports surfaced that Iran was arming and funding terrorists including insurgents in Iraq. However, the lack of evidence connecting insurgents to Iran made those reports less credible and possibly false.

A 2002 report submitted to the United Nations Security Council, titled “Terrorism Financing: Roots and trends of Saudi terrorism financing,” outlined the vast funding of terrorist group al Qaeda by Saudi Arabia. Al Qaeda was responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks and after WMDs weren’t found in Iraq, untrue connections between Iraq and al Qaeda were fabricated to justify U.S. invasion. Now, the war drums are beating for Iran because of its alleged close ties to terrorists.

In December 2006, USA Today reported that “Private Saudi citizens are giving millions of dollars to Sunni insurgents in Iraq and much of the money is used to buy weapons, including shoulder fired anti-aircraft missiles.” This is exactly what the United States has accused of Iran. Instead of calling out Saudi Arabia and demanding it cease the funding of terrorists and insurgents in Iraq, Bush is meeting with Saudi leaders and assuring them of their importance in the Middle East.

This is exactly the type of policy that Bush called similar to the appeasement of Hitler in the 1930s. According to Bush, the funding of terrorists by Saudi Arabia is fine, while Iran’s actions are unacceptable. This hypocrisy is exactly the reason the United States is so disrespected globally and is doing nothing to make the United States safer.

Where the IAEA wasn’t competent enough to ensure that Iran’s nuclear program was civilian or safe, in Saudi Arabia the IAEA is more than enough. To quote the Fact Sheet, “The U.S. will help the Saudis develop both human and infrastructure resources in accordance with International Atomic Energy Agency guidance and standards.” Another car has been added to the foreign policy train wreck that is the Middle East. Aiding a terrorist-supporting, unstable nation in the construction of nuclear power facilities is taking a massive leap in the face of potential regional war.

In 1981, Israel bombed alleged nuclear facilities in Iraq. Then in 2007, Israel launched missiles into Syria at what was believed to be the construction of a nuclear plant. Lately Israel has been using rhetoric that implies similar action will be taken in Iran. How will Israel react to the construction of nuclear plants in a Saudi Arabia, another state that does not recognize the right of Israel to exist?

Israel may be the least of the United States’ concerns. With troubled relations between Washington, Moscow and Beijing, and China’s and Russia’s support of Iran, the U.S.-aided construction of nuclear capabilities in Saudi Arabia will be seen as a continuation of unfriendly U.S. policies. How long before tensions result in action?

Bush cannot be allowed to pursue this policy. It is intolerable and perilous to U.S. citizens and is not a partisan issue.

Rather, it is a poor policy built from unsound judgment that will undoubtedly lead to long-term conflict. Should Bush continue to pursue what was outlined in the Fact Sheet, we must prepare for widespread conflict in the Middle East for years to come.

E-mail Dan at dancamarda@gmail.com.