The American Military Presence
Dawood Al-Shirian | 04.05.2003 02:27
The presence of American troops in Saudi Arabia came because of Saddam Hussein, and they withdrew upon his ouster. Nevertheless, the internal and external political Islamic movement disregarded this truth.
Ada'af al Imaan (The American Military Presence)
Dawood Al-Shirian, Al-Hayat, 2003/05/01
American troops are spread across Europe, Asia and several Arab countries, and their number varies according to bilateral agreements, which generally span over other domains. Despite the fact that the American military presence in, and withdrawal, from Saudi Arabia was organized in that fashion, the issue was addressed differently. In fact, many interpretations were based on instigation while others lacked objectivity. Moreover, this American presence became increasingly part of the "terrorist Jihad" discourse.
The presence of American troops in Saudi Arabia came because of Saddam Hussein, and they withdrew upon his ouster. Nevertheless, the internal and external political Islamic movement disregarded this truth. In fact, it took this presence as a pretext to attack Saudi Arabia and question the political regime's legitimacy, stripping it from its Islamic role. Riyadh's enemies seized the opportunity to settle political scores with the Kingdom. The Saudi press further nurtured this campaign by constantly addressing it in a hesitant and vague manner.
Besides this media context, the withdrawal of the American troops has many political connotations; first of all, it implies that American-Saudi relations are based on mutual interests rather than force. The withdrawal at this time proves that both countries are committed to the international resolutions that initially provided for the creation of this presence. There are many other interpretations regarding the withdrawal, including the claim that this end to the American military presence in Saudi Arabia is set off by added American pressure at the cultural, social and political levels, or that this move aimed to embellish America's image in the Islamic and Arab street, in order to gain the Arabs' approval for its mission in Iraq. Regardless of these interpretations; Saudi Arabia must not address this issue from these other perspectives. Rather, it should deal with it in accordance to its mutual interests and disregard others' attempts to link it to principles.
Dawood Al-Shirian, Al-Hayat, 2003/05/01
American troops are spread across Europe, Asia and several Arab countries, and their number varies according to bilateral agreements, which generally span over other domains. Despite the fact that the American military presence in, and withdrawal, from Saudi Arabia was organized in that fashion, the issue was addressed differently. In fact, many interpretations were based on instigation while others lacked objectivity. Moreover, this American presence became increasingly part of the "terrorist Jihad" discourse.
The presence of American troops in Saudi Arabia came because of Saddam Hussein, and they withdrew upon his ouster. Nevertheless, the internal and external political Islamic movement disregarded this truth. In fact, it took this presence as a pretext to attack Saudi Arabia and question the political regime's legitimacy, stripping it from its Islamic role. Riyadh's enemies seized the opportunity to settle political scores with the Kingdom. The Saudi press further nurtured this campaign by constantly addressing it in a hesitant and vague manner.
Besides this media context, the withdrawal of the American troops has many political connotations; first of all, it implies that American-Saudi relations are based on mutual interests rather than force. The withdrawal at this time proves that both countries are committed to the international resolutions that initially provided for the creation of this presence. There are many other interpretations regarding the withdrawal, including the claim that this end to the American military presence in Saudi Arabia is set off by added American pressure at the cultural, social and political levels, or that this move aimed to embellish America's image in the Islamic and Arab street, in order to gain the Arabs' approval for its mission in Iraq. Regardless of these interpretations; Saudi Arabia must not address this issue from these other perspectives. Rather, it should deal with it in accordance to its mutual interests and disregard others' attempts to link it to principles.
Dawood Al-Shirian
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