The Arab News, a major English-language Saudi Arabian newspaper owned by Saudi Prince Turki bin Salman (brother of crown prince Mohamed bin Salman) has long been treated as virtually an official government mouthpiece. This is becoming particularly important Thursday, as the front page of the paper advocated that the United States attack Iran.
The editorial, ominously titled “Iran must not go unpunished” begins with the declaration that “nobody wants war,” and then argues throughout about how vital it is that the US launch such a war, even if it is just a limited war involving US missile strikes.
They argue that President Trump has already set a precedent for this sort of war in Syria, and present a US attack as “retaliation” against Iranian threats. Those threats are being publicly scoffed at across Europe, and seemingly in other countries where the government doesn’t believe it has a vested interest in seeing the US attack a regional rival.
As this is going on in the Saudi press, Saudi government officials are taking this week’s drone attack, from Yemen’s Houthi movement, and trying to pin the entire thing on Iran, claiming that it proves Iran are “terrorists” and are carrying out an expansionist agenda.
Saudi officials have tried to tie the Houthi movement to Iran from the war’s beginning. Initially, it was meant to justify attacking the Houthis on the grounds that it would hurt Iran. Now, however, officials are hoping it swings both ways, and that years of hostility fostered by the Saudi-led invasion of Yemen can be parlayed into more direct hostilities with Iran.
There is a massive pressure on Riyadh to join war. What kind of leverage is used — who knows. But the paper does not say Saudi Arabia should go, but US should go, and good luck. The missile strike on Syria was an interesting choice of an example. A big show, one hundred plus missiles, most intercepted, others — damage not even mentikned outsidelocal sources like Al-Masdar. There was no bragging afterwards about what those missiles achieved. Why chose the rather inglorious example? So, all Gulf states are expressly against the conflict, Israel wants nothing to do with it, claiming Teheran is no threat at present, only Saudi newspapers are urging US to do something. What a stellar recommendation for US military action. Saudis are leaned on to host troops. Thar would bring about radicalism in Saudi Arabia. Also all plans for investments in the economy would be over. It is hard to see what will make Kingdom participafe, other then in anti-Iran rethoric, evging US on.
“no bragging about what those missiles achieved” massive missiles used, massive missiles replaced…no one is going to brag about the profits made.
So, the governments of those that created the events that led to the USA’s massive foreign policy debacle in the Middle East want a repeat?
The Saudis are mighty generous with out boys, and girls. It would be much smarter to drop the 120k troops in SA and invade their asses. Would solve many problems.
Saudi Arabia doesn’t seem to understand what will happen to their country if war breaks out with Iran. Do they like pumping oil and making money or not? If they do, war on Iran doesn’t make any sense.