May 11, 2007: Some details
of terrorist operations in Saudi Arabia have been getting out, in the wake of
the recent round up of 172 terrorist suspects, and the seizure of weapons,
explosives and plans. There were seven different terrorist cells involved in
those arrests. One of the cells had a safe house in Syria, where meetings with
terrorist groups in Iraq were conducted. The Saudis are not happy with the
links between terrorists inside Saudi Arabia, and Iraqi Sunni Arabs. The Saudis
have told the Iraqi Sunni Arabs that the Sunni Arab nations in the regions will
not bail them out, and that they must make peace with the Shia Arab majority.
Many Sunni Arabs, throughout the region, do not agree with this. But they are a
small minority. Most Sunni Arabs are appalled at the body count the Sunni Arab
terrorists have created in Iraq. While most of the dead are Shia Arabs, a
growing number are Sunni Arabs, killed either by the suicide bombers, or by
Shia Arab death squads looking for revenge. While most Sunni Arabs would like
to see Sunni Arabs running Iraq, there was revulsion at Saddam Husseins
methods, and even greater distaste for the subsequent mayhem by his followers.
Saudi investigators also
discovered that there were also terrorist training camps in northern Yemen, an
area controlled by Shia Arab tribes that are hostile to the Sunni Arab Yemeni
government. The connection with both Syria and Yemen is Iran, which subsidizes
Syria, and supports the Shia tribes in Yemen. Saudi Arabia sees Iran has its
primary enemy, not the Shia form of Islam (which most Iranians, who are not
Arabs, and most Iraqis, who are, follow). The Iranians take advantage of the
fact that al Qaeda has become the place to go if you believe in a very
conservative version of Islam, and are certain that the sorry state of the
Moslem world is all due to a plot by evil infidels (non-Moslems, especially
Christians, Hindus and Jews) to destroy Islam. Even though al Qaeda considers
Shia Moslems to be heretics, and worthy of persecution and execution, the
Iranians are willing to cooperate if it will lead to problems for the Sunni
rulers of Saudi Arabia. Politics, ethnic antagonisms and religious beliefs
produce a strange brew in the Middle East.
