Is anyone buying the explanation that Prince Turki al-Faisal, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the U.S., has abruptly resigned after only 15 months on the job “to spend more time with his family”?
Nah.
First of all, things change very sloowwwly in the Saudi kingdom. Turki’s predecessor, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, was ambassador for 22 years.
Secondly, the departure comes only days after Turki dismissed a consultant for suggesting in a Washington Post op-ed piece that the kingdom would back Iraq’s Sunni minority with money and weapons if the civil war grows wider. The ruling family and most Saudis are Sunnis.
Saudi Arabia denied the assertion, which nevertheless is widely viewed as accurate.
Thirdly, the resignation comes amid talk that the White House is considering a so-called “80 Percent Solution” for Iraq in which it would take sides with the Shiites against the Sunnis in the civil war.
Kind of adds up, don’t you think?
Incidentally and for what it’s worth (damned little), the blogosphere has been way out ahead on this story (sounds of back patting) and the MSM is only now catching up.
A footnote: Captain Ed provides a worthy and nuanced take on the Saudi machinations.
Money quote:
“In one sense, it’s difficult to take the Saudis seriously on this topic. Their own government has contributed to the spread of radical Islamism around the world, only of the Sunni variety, while the Shi’ite strain has taken the upper hand in Iraq’s sectarian violence. They opposed our invasion in 2003, mostly because they saw Saddam as less of a threat than Iran at the time, and they were happy to have us spend billions keeping him that way every year. Now they see their Sunni brethren as an endangered species without the American umbrella of security in Iraq, and they do not want to see either an annihilation or a massive refugee flood into their kingdom.”