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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Saudi Arabia
Index
The concept of a single Arab state stretching from the
Atlantic Ocean to the Persian Gulf never had much appeal within
Saudi Arabia. Most Saudis interpreted Arab unity to mean that the
seventeen principal Arab governments should strive for solidarity
on major regional and international issues; respect the
individual political and social differences of each Arab country;
and refrain from interference in one another's internal affairs.
This view of Arab unity was conservative in comparison with the
ideas advocated by Arab intellectuals and political leaders in
Egypt, Iraq, Libya, and Syria, as well as within the Palestinian
movement. The differing perspectives engendered frequent
ideological contests, especially with Egypt, the most populous
Arab country, which was located across the Gulf of Aqaba and the
Red Sea from Saudi Arabia. The most severe strain in SaudiEgyptian relations occurred between 1957 and 1967 when Gamal
Abdul Nasser was president of Egypt. Nasser was a charismatic
leader whose Arab nationalist rhetoric included widely publicized
denunciations of the Al Saud as corrupt rulers and subservient
puppets of the United States. His government supported numerous
revolutionary groups opposed to the Saudi regime and its regional
allies. In addition, Riyadh believed that Nasser was involved in
major political upheavals such as the military overthrow of
monarchies in Iraq (1958), Yemen (1962), and Libya (1969).
The June 1967 War represented a defeat for radical Arab
nationalists and contributed directly to a rapprochement between
Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Initially, the normalization of relations
proceeded gradually. After Anwar as Sadat became president of
Egypt in 1970, however, close economic and political ties between
the two countries developed rapidly. At Saudi urging, Sadat
expelled Soviet military advisers from Egypt, halted Cairo's
assistance to revolutionary groups operating in the Arabian
Peninsula, and patched up strained relations with Syria. During
the October 1973 War, Saudi Arabia supported Egypt by taking the
unprecedented step of initiating an embargo on oil shipments to
the United States and European countries that backed Israel.
Subsequently, Riyadh encouraged Egyptian participation in United
States-mediated negotiations aimed at obtaining phased Israeli
withdrawals from Egyptian and Syrian territory occupied in 1967.
Although the Saudis valued the close relations they had
achieved with Egypt by 1978, they were not prepared for a
separate Egyptian peace treaty with Israel. The Saudis genuinely
believed that resolving the grievances of the Palestinians was an
essential requirement of a durable peace. Thus, they reacted
negatively to news that Egypt and Israel, while attending a
summit meeting at the United States presidential retreat of Camp
David, Maryland, had reached agreement on terms for a
comprehensive peace. Riyadh refused to support the Egyptian
decision and joined with the other Arab states in condemning the
initiative. After the Camp David Accords were signed in March
1979, Saudi Arabia broke diplomatic relations with Egypt and cut
off economic aid. Sadat responded by broadcasting anti-Saudi
speeches as vitriolic as any uttered by Nasser in the 1960s.
The cumulative impact of major developments such as the
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, the outbreak of the IranIraq War in 1980, Sadat's assassination in 1981, the regional
consequences of Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon, and persistent
tensions with Libyan leader Muammar al Qadhafi encouraged Saudi
leaders to reevaluate their policy of isolating Egypt. However,
Riyadh was reluctant to undertake any bold initiatives toward
normalizing relations with Cairo. Instead, it provided tacit
approval for efforts by Iraq, Jordan, and Sudan to rehabilitate
Egypt. Once an inter-Arab consensus had been achieved, including
a decision to readmit Egypt to the League of Arab States, the
Saudis felt comfortable that they could improve their ties to
Egypt without encountering charges that they were betraying Arab
nationalism. Saudi Arabia finally restored diplomatic relations
with Egypt in November 1987. The cementing of the renewed ties
took place during the Persian Gulf War, when Egypt sent a
contingent of armed forces to Saudi Arabia to help defend the
kingdom against an Iraqi attack.
Algeria, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and the PDRY were the other
countries that the Saudis believed espoused a radical form of
nationalism. These five states consistently criticized Saudi
Arabia's ties to the United States during the 1970s and 1980s. Of
all these countries, relations with Libya were the most strained.
Libyan leader Qadhafi frequently denounced the Al Saud dynasty as
corrupt and illegitimate and openly called for its overthrow. The
Saudis were convinced that Qadhafi supported terrorist attacks on
their diplomats and other Arab envoys and financed antigovernment
groups in Egypt, Jordan, Sudan, and Tunisia. As part of the
kingdom's propaganda campaign designed to counter Qadhafi's
verbal assaults, in the mid-1980s King Fahd persuaded the Saudi
ulama to declare Qadhafi a heretic.
Data as of December 1992
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