Hit the road Jack!

[Roger Baker]

Since the Saudis want us out if their country, not withstanding the 
mid-1980's
agreement with King Faisal to provide unlimited oil in return for US 
military protection,
what shall we do?

Well first of all since this is embarressing and since we are hoplessly 
addicted to their
oil, let begin by having Sec of state Powell deny that any of this this 
is happening at all,
and meanwhile maybe somebody can think of a new way to spin the bad 
news. After all,
god wants us to have our fair share of their oil, and making sure we get 
that  is going to
require lots of warships and missiles.

-- Roger

                  ***************************************

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5134-2002Jan18.html

Powell: Saudis Have Not Mentioned U.S. Withdrawal


Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said yesterday that he has had "no 
discussion" with Saudi officials about the possibility that Saudi Arabia 
will ask the United States to withdraw its armed forces from the kingdom.

Powell, responding to questions during a stop in Katmandu, Nepal, about 
a story in Thursday's Washington Post, said he had been in regular 
contact with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Saud Faisal, but had heard 
nothing about withdrawing U.S. forces.

The Post reported that Saudi leaders were becoming increasingly 
uncomfortable with the presence of American troops and might soon ask 
that they be removed...

              
******************************************************************


http://www.guardian.co.uk/bush/story/0,7369,636035,00.html

Saudis tell US forces to get out

Foreign soldiers seen as political liability

Ewen MacAskill, diplomatic editor
Saturday January 19, 2002
The Guardian

Saudi Arabia's rulers are poised to throw US strategy in the Middle East 
into disarray by asking Washington to pull its forces out of the kingdom 
because they have become a "political liability".

Senior Saudi officials have privately complained that the US has 
"outstayed its welcome" and that the kingdom may soon request that the 
American presence - a product of the Gulf war - is brought to an end.

Both the White House and the US state department insisted yesterday that 
the military arrangement between the two countries was still working. 
The White House spokesman, Ari Fleischer, said that the president, 
George Bush, "believes that our presence in the region has a very 
helpful and stabilising effect in a dangerous region".

Relations between the US and Saudi Arabia, Washington's closest Arab 
ally, have been severely strained since September 11. Both sides have 
been desperately denying for months that there is a rift...