The Saudi Memo

According to a memo exposed by WikiLeaks, Saudi King Abdullah urged the U>S. to attack Iran. This should not come as a surprise. Saudi Arabia and Iran have been the two biggest rivals to represent Muslims in the Middle East in general and the Palestinian cause specifically.

Saudis tend to be Sunni. But the leadership is viewed suspiciously within the wider Arab world because of links with the U.S. The U.S. was allowed to station troops in Saudi Arabia in the run up to the first Persian Gulf War. That act was considered an affront to many Muslims because Saudi Arabia is home too the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

Iran has been a staunch enemy of the U.S. since the revolution in 1979. But in an era with increasing tensions between Sunnis and Shiites, Iranians are predominantly Shi’a whereas much of the rest of the Middle East is Sunni. Iranians are also predominantly Persian whereas most of the rest of the Middle East in ethnically Arab.

Iran rush to obtain a nuclear weapon will give it credibility within the Middle East and a louder voice on the global stage. This will diminish Saudi Arabia's regional status. It’s a typical case of leaders concerning themselves with their own egos at the expense of human life.

(More at The HQT-IE)