Arab Spring Pits Saudi Security Against U.S. Support for Change
This article is for subscribers only.
The Arab Spring might be turning chilly for the U.S.’s alliance with Saudi Arabia.
With the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the 2003 invasion of Iraq and more Saudi oil sales to Asia, U.S. sway over Saudi Arabia has declined as their policies diverge, said Theodore Karasik, an analyst at the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis. The popular uprisings in the Middle East this year tested their partnership by pitting U.S. support for democracy against Saudi Arabia’s desire for a status quo.