Ayoon Wa Azan (the lifeboat is rocking)

King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz is the only Arab leader whom I once said is a hero, a quality probably merited by others such as Sheikh Zayed, Rest in Peace. However, I used the term for a clear reason, namely that then-Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia had threatened George W. Bush that his country will disengage its policy from any relationship with the United States, with each country pursuing a path that suited its own interests. This forced the American administration to declare that its policy is based on two-states, Palestine and Israel, living side by side – which remains the only U.S. policy on this issue to date. I do not recommend that King Abdullah threaten the U.S. administration again today, because that would influence the course of the elections. Instead, I suggest that the King wait until Barack Obama wins a second term, or for Mitt Romney to defeat him, before he declares his position. I am talking in general. I do not claim to have solutions that no one else thought of before, and I know that there are veteran experts and advisers in the Royal Court who follow every small and big detail. My suggestion, which may need some fine tuning, is for King Abdullah to declare a few days after the U.S. elections on the first Tuesday of November, 2012, that Saudi Arabia would henceforth only produce enough petroleum to suit the needs of its citizenry, and Saudi commitments around the world, and not to suit the needs of the U.S. or others. I am not calling for an oil embargo, or just the threat of it, as the Arab countries these days would never agree on one opinion, and the oil-producing countries would never issue a unified decision. No, all I am asking for is for Saudi Arabia to produce only enough of a depleting substance to suit its interests, leaving some of the country’s resources for future generations. The Saudi position would come amid a worsening global financial crisis. The last thing any U.S. president needs is for the lifeboat protecting the global economy to start rocking, while water is leaking in, one day from Greece, and another from Spain and Portugal, and perhaps Italy tomorrow. Barack Obama would benefit from such a Saudi position, even if he were to oppose it publically, to pursue policies that serve the interests of the United States alone – based on the argument that he does not want to enter a losing economic war, and cause a new crisis that leads to less production and higher prices. Mitt Romney would also know his limits, because he will not win unless he can convince a majority of Americans that he can tackle the financial crisis head on, put the U.S. economy on the path to recovery, and that he in the White House will work on solving the economic crisis, not make it many times worse. One last point here: The position I am proposing, which is short of an oil embargo or the threat thereof, cannot be made by any side other than Saudi Arabia, as the world’s largest oil producer, and by no one else other than King Abdullah, given his reputation as being a straightforward man who always means what he says, and who never lies – and was never accused of lying. Both friends and foes realize that he always does what he says he will do. Frankly, I want Barack Obama to return to the White House for a second term, free of the shackles of the Israel lobby, and I feel that the suspicions the supporters of Israel have about his intentions may be in place. Meanwhile, a victory for Romney means that the administration of George W. Bush will be making a comeback under a different name, but with the same pillars of the war cabal back in power – instead of being thrown into Guantanamo pending their trial for the deliberate murder of one million Arabs and Muslims. Mitt Romney was a Mormon bishop and missionary, and has been the ally and friend of Benjamin Netanyahu for 30 years. For this reason, I believe that he needs a petroleum slap in the face to restore him to his senses and his true size. His relationship with Netanyahu reminds me of the saying “Tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are”, which also applies to the financial backers of the Republican candidate’s campaign. There is no secret that most of them are American neocons and Likudniks, who went on to form Super PACs with a massive financial war chest at their disposal, as we see each day with the sheer amounts they spend on television ads, especially in swing states. They do not shy away from explicitly showing their true identity either, and indeed, their latest “achievement” is creating the group called Jews for the GOP, and they hope that they will be soon able to cash in on the financial support they have provided. Recall that Bill Clinton and George W. Bush had both promised to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem before having to backpedal from their promise. Here, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz will enhance his political legacy, if he preempts Romney and reiterates the declared position of the Arab summits whereby relations would be severed with any country that moves its embassy to Jerusalem. The U.S. needs Saudi Arabia, but Riyadh does not need Washington. I hope that King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz will shake his stick at all these people, because he is in a position of strength, and because an absolute majority of his people support him. Logically speaking, a head of a state cannot be blamed for seeking the interests of his people, before the interests of others. --- The views expressed by the author do not necessarily represent or reflect the editorial policy of Arabstoday.