This is a truly bizarre article. Seth Galinsky must be living under a rock! No
mention that Saudi Arabia with US help is destroying Yemen, that women in Saudi
Arabia still have male guardians. You'd think that driving a car provides
freedom and equality. No mention that the Saudis are funding all those
extremist groups that they are supposedly fighting. As a matter of fact, so are
the US and Israel. The fact is that Saudi Arabia and Israel see Iran as a
threat to their national interests and the US is going along with them. There's
no mention of the Saudis' practice of beheading dissidents or that important
Saudi factions were involved in the 9/11 attacks on the US. No mention that the
US is happily selling more arms to Saudi Arabia so that it can continue on its
murderous rampages. Oh no, we worry about Assad in Syria who may be murdering
Syrians, but who hasn't attacked other countries. The only other people he's
killed, by accident, are the ones our CIA sent to his secret sites for
questioning. And we worry about Putin who hasn't been involved in physical
attacks here, at least not yet. But if the US keeps verbally attacking him and
increases sanctions on Russia, and kills a few Russians in Syria, who knows
what may happen next?
Miriam.
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Roger Loran Bailey
(Redacted sender "rogerbailey81" for DMARC)
Sent: Friday, April 13, 2018 8:38 PM
To: blind-democracy <blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [blind-democracy] Saudi crown prince tours US, promotes
alliance,against Tehran
http://themilitant.com/2018/8215/821506.html
The Militant (logo)
Vol. 82/No. 15 April 16, 2018
(front page)
Saudi crown prince tours US, promotes alliance against Tehran
BY SETH GALINSKY
As part of efforts by the capitalist rulers in Washington, Saudi Arabia and
Israel to cement a broader alliance against Tehran, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman began a three-week U.S. tour March 20.
He is also seeking more capitalist investment to diversify and strengthen the
Saudi economy and “modernize” social relations there.
At the same time, the presidents of Russia, Turkey and Iran — Vladimir Putin,
Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hassan Rouhani — met April 4 in Ankara to discuss
further collaboration in Syria. Each of these capitalist regimes is jockeying
to strengthen their own interests, and have worked together on some moves in
Syria — mostly give each other space to maneuver.
The Saudi monarchy recognizes that for it to become a serious force in the
region — politically, economically and militarily — requires bringing the
country into the 21st century.
In an interview with the Atlantic’s editor Jeffrey Goldberg, Prince Mohammed
said there are two warring camps in the Middle East today. The first is what he
called “the triangle of evil” — the Shiite clerical regime in Iran, the Muslim
Brotherhood, and Sunni terrorist groups like Islamic State and al-Qaeda.
Along with Washington, he includes in his camp the governments of Bahrain,
Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
Without saying it in so many words, he sees the Israeli regime as a crucial
ally.
When asked by Goldberg if he believed the Jewish people have a right to a
nation-state, he replied, “I believe the Palestinians and the Israelis have the
right to have their own land. But we have to have a peace agreement to assure
the stability for everyone and to have normal relations.”
The Saudi government, like its Arab government allies, does not have formal
diplomatic relations with the Israeli regime, but has growing collaboration on
intelligence matters and other connections.
“There are a lot of interests we share with Israel,” Prince Mohammed said, “and
if there is peace, there would be a lot of interest between Israel and the Gulf
Cooperation Council countries and countries like Egypt and Jordan.”
Besides meeting with President Donald Trump, cabinet members and Democratic and
Republican Party politicians, the Saudi prince is meeting with corporate
executives in Boston, New York, California and Texas. He is also meeting with
movie producers and others in Hollywood, as the Saudi regime prepares to reopen
movie theaters for the first time in decades.
Prince Mohammed has been in the forefront of efforts to limit the power of the
Wahhabi clerical police and open up social relations. Women will be permitted
to drive in June, and are now allowed to attend sporting and other public
events.
“We’re knocking the hell out of ISIS [Islamic State]. We’ll be coming out of
Syria, like very soon,” President Trump said in Ohio March 29, while the Saudi
ruler was still in the U.S. “Let other people take care of it.” He has
reportedly put on hold $200 million allocated for reconstruction in Syria.
Much of the liberal press went ballistic. The Washington Post ran an editorial
March 31 headlined, “Trump Says We’re Leaving Syria ‘Like, Very Soon.’ Bad
Idea.” Politico charged Trump with abandoning “the larger battle of influence
underway among multiple nations, including Russia and Iran.”
But the liberals, who view all politics through the prism of trying to drive
Trump from office, miss the point. Trump wants U.S. allies to shoulder more of
the cost. Reuters noted that at an April 3 press conference Trump said the U.S.
government won’t “rest until ISIS is gone” and set no timetable for a troop
withdrawal.
Trump noted that Saudi Arabia wants the 2,000 plus U.S. troops to remain in
Syria. “Well you know, you want us to stay,” Trump said. “Maybe you’re going to
have to pay.”
The president told national security officials, the Post reported April 4, that
“he expects other countries, especially wealthy Arab states in the region, to
pick up the task of paying for reconstruction of stabilized areas [in Syria],
including sending their own troops, if necessary.”
Speaking at the misnamed U.S. Institute of Peace the same day, Gen.
Joseph Votel, head of the U.S. Central Command in the Mideast, said, “A lot of
good military progress has been made over the last couple of years, but the
hard part, I think, is in front of us.” As the war with Islamic State winds
down, he said, “the situation continues to become more and more complex.” The
task, he said, is to move forward “without ceding power to Russia and Iran, and
resolving U.S. difficulties with neighboring Turkey.”
Turkish rulers threaten Manbij
The Turkish military has invaded Syria alongside Syrian forces under its
command in an offensive against Kurdish forces in the northwestern Afrin canton.
In the last few weeks the Pentagon has sent some 300 additional troops to
Manbij, which Erdogan has threatened to attack next. The Kurdish-led Syrian
Democratic Forces drove Islamic State out of Manbij in 2016 and has been the
main ground force Washington has relied on in the battle against Islamic State.
U.S. forces have built emplacements and begun patrols both west and north of
Manbij, in areas where Turkish-led forces from either Afrin or Turkey itself
would mount an attack. Kurdish representatives met with French President
Emmanuel Macron in Paris March 29, where he said French troops would “bolster”
U.S. efforts in Manbij.
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