Word: macleods
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...Americans and at least ten other foreigners have been killed in three simultaneous suicide bombings in Riyadh. The bombings are suspected of being orchestrated by al-Qaeda, which would make them the first attacks by the network in Saudi Arabia. TIME Middle East bureau chief Scott MacLeod talks about the attaks...
...Scott MacLeod: Although there is no confirmation as yet, we can relatively safely say, at least, that this is an al-Qaeda-inspired attack, and it appears that it would have been done by Bin Laden's own organization or a local group working in cooperation with al-Qaeda. One of Al-Qaeda's primary goals is to eradicate American influence in the Middle East, particularly in Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam. The latest attacks continue that battle, and could also be seen as a response to the American invasion and occupation of Iraq...
...MacLeod: Some in the Saudi leadership will welcome the news, because they have been upset by what they see as the U.S. acting as if it owned Saudi Arabia. There's a lot of nationalism in the royal family, not to mention on the streets. And those elements will be happy to see U.S. troops withdrawn, and won't see any downside. But there will be others in the leadership who will worry about the reality, or the perception, that the withdrawal downgrades Saudi Arabia's strategic importance to the U.S. The Saudis believe they need to be under...
...MacLeod: Well, remember, for bin Laden, it wasn't simply a question of the U.S. troops; it was the idea that the presence of those troops showed just how subservient the royal family had become to the U.S. The extremists perceive the Saudi regime as agents of the U.S. and that perception won't change with the withdrawal of U.S. troops. The Saudis won't hide their continued agreements and cooperation with the U.S. and the hard-line fundamentalists will continue to see Americans as dominating Saudi affairs. It may even be worse, because there are now some...
...MacLeod: Some Saudis will be very concerned about the message this sends about the strength of their regime. After all, the strength and visibility of that relationship reinforced an aura of invincibility at home. That may have been important for the regime, but it may also have been a liability. Ordinary Saudis, not only fundamentalists, feel their government has been too subservient to the U.S. So this may actually work in favor of those pushing for internal reform, because the U.S. presence had soured many on the royal family. Now that the Americans are getting out and the relationship will...