April 2, 2007--Good King Abdullah

If I were Machiavellian-minded, which of course I’m not, I would be suspecting that the Bush family, behind the scenes and pulling his strings, had arranged for King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia to label our involvement in Iraq as an “illegal foreign occupation.” (See NY Times article linked below.)

What’s more I would be sniffing around for evidence that what the king is attempting to carry out diplomatically among the key players in the region is the Bushes’ secret plan for the Middle East. This would be nothing that new since the Saudi royal family has been doing the Bushes’ bidding for their mutual benefit for three generations.

If I am correct about this, it would of course be Old Man Bush, Number 41, who is moving in to once again rescue Junior from a self-inflicted mess. This time a much bigger one than just DWI.

I suspect this Bush involvement because the King’s plan is so subtle and sound that it smacks of the nuanced kind of thinking characteristic of the Bush Family consigliores. And it perhaps represents the only solution to the fiasco we helped create in the region but which, in truth, has been incubating since at least the end of the First World War when the current unnatural map of the Middle East was created by the “victorious” British, French, and American business interests.

Many feel that a number of problems have to be addressed if there is to be any hope of avoiding an even greater conflagration:

First, there must be a deal between the Israelis and Palestinians. To that end King Abdullah recently brokered a deal between Hamas and Fatah to share power and called for the end to the international boycott of the Palestinian government. The Israelis of course are already on record rejecting this but maybe the current Bush administration can rescue itself from the dustbin of history by “forcing” its ally to accept a deal that would bring them regional diplomatic recognition and a sense of security.

Second, Iran’s soaring power and reputation in the region need to be contained. The Sunni royal Saudis feel appropriately threatened by Iran’s Shia muscle flexing and successful support for radical groups such as Hezbollah who ultimately will come looking to overthrown the Al-Saud Dynasty. Thus, in early March King Abdullah hosted President Ahmadinejad in an attempt to reduce tensions in Lebanon by dealing directly with Iran and Hezbollah.

The Bush administration was so upset by these “renegade” moves by the Saudis that they publicly disavowed them and King Abdullah promptly cancelled his planned trip to Washington. Which set the stage for his condemnation at the Arab League meeting of the U.S.’s illegal occupation. In the streets, not wanting to appear to be America’s homeboy, this would be called building cred. Which they will need lots of if they are to have a chance to succeed in their efforts.

You may think King Abdullah has left the ranch, but I smell the handiwork of Jim Baker. The King’s plan for the region makes too much sense for it to be anything but.