A SECRET briefing given to senior Pentagon officials has described Saudi Arabia as an enemy of the United States and an ìevilî state that funds and directs international terrorism at all levels.
The highly sensitive intelligence report, which reflects a potentially explosive deterioration in relations between Washington and Riyadh, described the kingdom as ìthe kernel of evil, the prime mover, the most dangerous opponentî that the US faces in the Middle East.
The briefing, presented last month to the Pentagonís Defence Advisory Board – former senior officials and academics who advise the White House on defence policy – comes at a time of growing mistrust within the Bush Administration over Saudi links to terrorist networks, Islamic extremism and Riyadhís lack of co-operation in the military campaign to remove the Taleban from Afghanistan.
ìThe Saudis are active at every level of the terror chain, from planners to financiers, from cadre to foot soldier, from ideologist to cheerleader,î the briefing paper, delivered on July 10, states.
The paper, prepared by Laurent Murawiec, a former adviser to the French Defence Ministry and an analyst at the US military think-tank, the Rand Corporation, was uncompromising in its recommendations. ìSaudi Arabia supports our enemies and attacks our allies,î the report, obtained by The Washington Post, states.
Mr Murawiec says that the United States should demand that Riyadh stop funding Islamic outlets around the world, halt all anti-US and anti-Israeli statements in the country and ìprosecute or isolate those involved in the terror chain, including in the Saudi Intelligence servicesî.
If the Saudis refuse to comply, the briefing said, Saudi oilfields and overseas financial assets should be ìtargetedî. The report concludes by linking the removal from power of President Saddam Hussein to altering Saudi behaviour. Mr Murawiec told The Times that he was not allowed to discuss his report.
The view, gaining credence among the more hawkish elements of the Bush Administration, particularly among the staff of Dick Cheney, the Vice-President, and Donald Rumsfeld, the Defence Secretary, is that once a US invasion has removed the Iraqi dictator, a friendly successor regime would become a big exporter of oil to the West.
That oil would diminish the US reliance on Saudi Arabiaís exports and thus permit Washington to confront the House of Saud over its alleged terrorist links.
Mr Rumsfeld said the disclosure of details of the classified briefing was harmful because it incorrectly created the impression that the briefing represented the governmentís view on Saudi Arabia. ìIt is like any other country – it has things which we agree with and some that we may not,î he said at a meeting with Pentagon employees.
ìIt is nonetheless a country where we have a lot of forces located and we have a had a long relationship. Yet, a number of the people involved (in the September 11 terrorist attacks) happen to have been Saudi individuals.î
Secretary of State Colin Powell assured Prince Saud al-Faisal, the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, in a telephone call that the ìmusingsî of the policy board did not represent US policy.
Mr Murawiecís conclusions do not represent the official stance of the US Government toward Riyadh. Indeed, Saudi Arabia is still described as a ìmajor allyî in the region.
A Pentagon spokeswoman said: ìNeither the presentations nor the Defence Policy Board membersí comments reflect the official views of the Department of Defence.
ìThe Saudis co-operate fully in the global war on terrorism and have the departmentís and the Administrationís deep appreciation.î
But in reality relations between Washington and Riyadh are dangerously strained, despite – and many say because of – the presence of several thousand US troops based in the kingdom.
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