H. Thomas Hayden was formerly the President and CEO of First Communications Company (FCC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a joint venture between Raytheon and a Saudi Company involved in Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I) Systems for the Ministry of Defense and Aviation, Saudi Arabian National Guard and Ministry of Interior. Before retiring from the US Marine Corps, assignments included Commanding Officer (CO), Headquarters and Service Bn, 1st Force Service Support Group, which deployed to the Gulf War, CO Brigade Service Support Group – 9, which deployed to Somalia and CO MAU Service Support Group – 33, which deployed to The Philippines and Korea. He was Branch Head, Headquarters Marine Corps, Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict (SO/LIC), and Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for SO/LIC with assignments to Central America. He has participated in combat operations or contingency operations in the Republic of Vietnam, Central America, Gulf War, Somalia, and Colombia. Tom has a MBA, MA in International Relations, and a PhD candidate in Business Management. He is the author of two books and is currently writing a third: SHADOW WAR: Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict; WARFIGHTING: Maneuver Warfare in the US Marine Corps. He has published over 40 articles and has been awarded the Navy League’s Alfred Thayer Mahan award for literary achievement.
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Analysis of Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the only nation on earth named after
a family. King Abdul Aziz ibn Saud founded the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
in 1932, with its capitol in Riyadh. In 1950, Riyadh was a small oasis
town with 50,000 people, most living in mud-brick homes. Today, Riyadh
is home to almost five million inhabitants. The Kingdom's estimated
population is over 24 million people.
Muslims worldwide revere the Holy Cities of Mecca and Medina, which
are visited each year by more than two million of the faithful performing
the Hajj.
The current head of state, King Faud bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud, Custodian
of the Two Holy Mosque, is ill and the Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul
Aziz al-Saud, is the acting Head of State, with the sons of King Abdul
Aziz holding all key ministerial posts.
While Saudi Arabia is thought by many to be a monarchy, it is more
like an oligarchy but governed by sharia, Islamic Law. Additionally,
there is the Majlis ash-Shura, a consultative assembly established
by King Fahd in 1992. The Shura is arguably the most educated consultative
body ever to exist. Of its 120 members, 77 hold doctorate or medical
degrees and 87 are graduates of major Western universities.
Mutawa, or Religious Police, religiously enforce Islamic Law. Women
must be cover from head-to-toe in an all black gown, know as an abaya,
and scarf with a veil showing nothing but a slit for their eyes. The
Matawaeen will attack Saudi women who do not properly cover themselves,
shop owners who do not close on time for prayers, and anyone who displeases
them.
Saudi Arabia is the source of 25% of the world's known oil supplies,
which makes Saudi Arabia in many respects like the United States -
influential, respected but resented.
Saudi Arabia is not just another Third World country trying to adjust
to change in a new century, but it is trying to jump from the 7th
Century to the 21st Century in just three or four decades.
Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait changed everything and created
Osama
bin Laden's Al
Qaeda.
From the first Gulf
War, Osama bin Laden and his "organization" has sought a regime
change in Saudi Arabia as a way to rectify the perceived abrogation
of leadership in the Islamic world and the permitting of foreign troops
on Holy soil.
Al Qaeda is claiming credit for the recent removal of U.S. forces
from the country. However, as long as the U.S. military had a strong
presence in Saudi Arabia, Al Qaeda had little chance of inspiring
a popular uprising in the face of the combined power of the Saudi
royal family and the presences of U.S. military forces.
Saudi Arabia continues to try to regain its footing after shifting
relations with the United States brought on by the first Gulf War,
the 9/11 attacks, and more concretely, the war in Iraq. The Saudi
royal family faces internal pressures from Al Qaeda-related militants
and also from business and intellectual sectors of Saudi society who
want more democracy, while external pressures from the United States
continue.
Stratfor.com, in an article
dated January 30, 2003, "Saudi Arabia: A Balancing Act," reported:
"Several incidents this week exemplify this ongoing balancing act
by Riyadh: the awarding of natural gas exploration contracts to four
non-U.S. firms, the withdrawal of diplomatic recognition by the United
States for 16 Saudis attached to the Saudi Embassy in Washington and
the deadly shoot-out with militants in Riyadh on Jan. 29."
According to Stratfor.com, pressure is only mounting at this time:
"A failure to act internally is just as potentially dangerous as action.
Riyadh has few places to turn for assistance and respite. While Moscow
and Beijing certainly will take advantage of the Saudis' tough luck,
there is little chance at this time that they would come to the kingdom's
aid physically should internal cohesion fail or U.S. forces move.
The Islamic world remains fractured, with former pariahs like Libya
handing over nuclear materials to the United States, and Iran negotiating
backroom deals with Washington. Al Qaeda is apparently resetting its
sights on the royal family as well.
How long the Royal family can juggle these issues is unclear, but what is apparent is that a deep-seated crisis is looming in Saudi Arabia -- and there is little sign of abatement anytime soon.
The message from Washington D.C., may be that the window of acceptable activity by the Saudi government is narrowing, and previously overlooked infractions are now inexcusable
Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898), Chancellor of the Prussian Empire,
is reported to have said: "There are no permanent allies, only permanent
interest."
