The Washington Institute for Near East Policy wants to tell us that  “U.S.-Saudi relations are in crisis” (http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC06.php?CID=1612). We’ve heard this one many times before and quite frankly who’s buying it. The “conflict” over the U.S. administration’s rhetorical commitment to democracy and freedom to choose your ruler in the Middle East is miniscule in the larger scheme of agreement on shared interests. There was also “conflict” over the issue in 2003-4 when the Bush administration – oh so deluded – was pressing Arab governments on democratic reforms in the wake of its Iraq invasion. Saudi Arabia got votes for men to elect men to half the seats of ineffective municipal councils, which produced a victory for Islamist candidates that Riyadh held up to Western governments as an example of what happens if you let the natives out of the cage. In any case, this time round Obama’s government dragged its feel on backing the uprisings in both Tunisia and Egypt. It was the perservance of ordinary people facing the vicious security apparatus of arrogant rulers smug in the knowledge of Western support that eventually forced the U.S. government’s hand. And Bahrain? The Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey D. Feltman was in Manama the week that Saudi Arabia forced Al Khalifa to quit kidding around with this pro-democracy lark and give these Shia riffraff what they deserve. “Washington is upset about the king’s alleged offer to bail out Egypt if Hosni Mubarak had decided to cling to power,” WINEP tells us. More like a lovers’ tiff, nothing more.
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