If you have not been paying close attention to world politics and activities then you may not be aware of the detrimental actions of two of our 'best' Muslim allies. The end result will be that we will have a harder time achieving our goals in the region and insuring a secure existence for our country and her interests abroad.
There has been intelligence and rumors, as well as, covert actions by Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, at least as far back as the mid '90's that should give a reason for pause when it comes to depending on these 'allies' to do their part to help defeat terrorism. Both countries independently have supported terror organizations and extremists views of Islam. Not only have these countries allowed extremist views and organizations to flourish within their borders, they have also funded and supported extremist and terror groups internationally.
The Saudi royals have long been known to provide moneys and other support to radical Islamic movements to help change the political climates of other countries. The facts are that Saudi Arabia produces a large number of international terrorists. Most of the suicide bombers in the GWOT have been of Saudi nationality. Not only were most of the 9/11 hijackers Saudi, but also based on which group you site, between 40% and 60% of the suicide bombers in the Iraqi Insurgency are Saudi. When the FBI arrested one of Al Qaeda's top persons in Faisalabad, according to General Posner, he stated that his primary contacts in Saudi Arabia included three princes of the royal family. The irony of this revelation is that those three princes, as well as the named contact within the Pakistani government, all died within a very short time of the respective governments being notified of the information.
The U.S. was caught between a rock and a hard spot, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan were needed to have any success in the GWOT, yet, the truth of the matter is that they are largely responsible for the enemies that we fight in that war. The choice was made by the U.S. that our need for these regional, strategic partners was greater than our ability to wage any effective attack against Afghanistan or Iraq without them.
So do we have control over these 'allies', and do they have any form of allegiance to us in this war? Our control or influence over these allies is more limited than we would like to imagine as can be seen in recent events between the two countries when Gen. Pervez Musharraf made a recent official visit to the Kingdom. This visit was a stop on a tour of 5 capitals in the region, but was of the most notice for what went on behind the scenes. The Pakistani President and the Saudi King meet in secret for 3 hours and then in a ceremony the King awarded Musharraf with the King Abdul Aziz Award. Also brokered in this visit was "an epic accord of 7 secret clauses on the terms in which Pakistan would make nuclear weapons available to, and sell, Saudi Arabia nuclear-capable missiles."
We have the makings of some very precarious moments in the future. There is a common theory that the royal family and Gen. Pervez Musharraf walk political tightropes in their respective countries, yet if things continue globally down the road that they are on right now, it will be the United States that finds itself on an international tightrope without the preverbal saftey net.
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