Saudis Helping Bahrain Could Be Seen As An Occupational Hazard

Excerpt from an email from DG:

In 2001, we read that Saudi ~ Oman condemn Israeli occupation of Orient House

“The acts of the Israeli forces of occupation, the latest being the abominable occupation of Orient House, symbol of Palestinian sovereignty in east Jerusalem, represent an escalation that the region cannot tolerate,” a Saudi government spokesman said.

And in 2011:Saudi Arabia’s military rolled into Bahrain on Monday, threatening to escalate a local political conflict into a regional showdown with Iran.


At least Iran gets credit for consistency.
BAHRAIN: Manama recalls ambassador to Iran, alleging 'blatant interference'

Bahrain on Tuesday recalled its ambassador to Iran after an Iranian foreign ministry spokesman decried the "unacceptable" presence of foreign troops in Bahrain, Iranian state media reported.

And the Bahraini opposition actually called the Saudi presence "occupation," but you wouldn't want them to wear the term out.

Meanwhile the New York Times reports U.S.-Saudi Tensions Intensify With Mideast Turmoil

Saudi officials have made no secret of their deep displeasure with how President Obama handled the ouster of the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, charging Washington with abandoning a longtime ally. They show little patience with American messages about embracing what Mr. Obama calls “universal values,” including peaceful protests.

When Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton were forced to cancel visits to the kingdom in recent days, American officials were left wondering whether the cause was King Abdullah’s frail health — or his pique at the United States.

And pressuring Mubarak to leave didn't exactly endear the Obama administration to the Egyptian opposition. Six constituent groups refused to meet with Secretary of State Clinton.

A Wall Street Journal editorial observes that the Saudis moved into Bahrain because they fear a US retreat:

But their intervention also reflects a lack of confidence that America will assert itself in the region. Remarkably, the Saudis ignored U.S. advice not to intervene in Bahrain. They don't believe they can count on the U.S. to stop an imperial Iran. When the U.S. fails to lead, every nation recalibrates its interests and begins to look out for itself first.

While the "international community" fiddles, Gadhafi's troops continue their march eastward, yesterday taking the strategic town of Ajdabiya, the last significant population center before Benghazi. His victory would be a tragedy for Libya's people. But it would diminish America's global standing as well, which is an outcome that makes Arabs as nervous as it ought to make Americans.

Technorati Tag: Saudi Arabia and Bahrain and Occupation.