Saudi Prince: US - Saudi Relationship in Danger

In an opinion piece published in Britain's Financial Times, Saudi Prince Turki said that Israel was poisoning the peace process and that without changes in the U.S. position on the Middle East the long-time relationship between The Kingdom and America was in danger. Sober words from a former ambassador to the U.S. He continued:

In the past weeks, not only have the Israeli Defence Forces murdered more than 1,000 Palestinians, but they have come close to killing the prospect of peace itself. Unless the new US administration takes forceful steps to prevent any further suffering and slaughter of Palestinians, the peace process, the US-Saudi relationship and the stability of the region are at risk.

America is not innocent in this calamity. Not only has the Bush administration left a sickening legacy in the region – from the death of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis to the humiliation and torture at Abu Ghraib – but it has also, through an arrogant attitude about the butchery in Gaza, contributed to the slaughter of innocents. If the US wants to continue playing a leadership role in the Middle East and keep its strategic alliances intact – especially its “special relationship” with Saudi Arabia – it will have to drastically revise its policies vis a vis Israel and Palestine.

Read the entire op-ed in the Financial Times.

Technorati Tags: Gaza, Israel, Palestine