Saudi Arabia: Current Issues and U.S. Relations
Abstract
Saudi Arabia, a monarchy ruled by the Saud dynasty, enjoys special importance in much of the international community because of its unique association with the Islamic religion and its oil wealth. Since the establishment of the modern Saudi kingdom in 1932, it has benefited from a stable political system based on a smooth process of succession to the throne and a prosperous economy dominated by the oil sector. Some commentators have suggested that growing internal pressures and regional tensions may have weakened the Saudi regime in recent years. The United States and Saudi Arabia have long-standing economic and defense ties. A series of informal agreements and military deployments have demonstrated a strong U.S. security commitment to Saudi Arabia. Bombing attacks against several U.S. operated installations in Saudi Arabia have raised some concerns about the security of U.S. personnel and what appears to be growing anti-Americanism in some segments of the Saudi population. Since the 9/11 attacks on the United States some commentators have maintained that Saudi domestic and foreign policies have created a climate that may have contributed to terrorist acts by Islamic radicals. Some go so far as to allege complicity on the part of Saudi officials in the flow of money to terrorist organizations. Saudi officials reject this viewpoint and maintain that they are working with the United States to combat terrorism. U.S. officials have cited Saudi support in the aftermath of the attacks, including intelligence sharing, law enforcement activities, and the tracking of terrorist financing. In August 2003, Saudi authorities agreed to establish a joint U.S.-Saudi task force in Saudi Arabia to investigate sources of terrorist funding. Other principal issues of bilateral interest include security in the post-war Gulf region, the Saudi position on the Arab-Israeli conflict, arms transfers to Saudi Arabia, and Saudi policies involving human rights and democracy.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 15, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA476818
Entities
People
- Alfred B. Prados
Organizations
- Library of Congress