Saudi Arabia On Edge As The U.S. Withdraws From The Middle East
The strategic relationship between the House of Saud and the
US Administration is worsening by the day, as shown by repeated unexpected
changes in president Biden’s approach to the Kingdom and its rulers. The US
military debacle in Afghanistan, the pictures of which have been widely
published, has caused severe stress in the minds of Arab leaders.
While Washington repeatedly states that the Afghanistan move
is not linked to broader US military and economic involvement in the Middle
East (and North Africa), the chaos at Kabul airport has shocked the regimes of
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and even Qatar. Washington’s unilateral actions
in Afghanistan appear to have severely damaged the fundamentals of US influence
in the Persian Gulf. If Afghanistan turns out to be a one-off event, there will
be limited negative repercussions for Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and even Egypt,
but some Washington insiders believe it is the start of something larger.
All eyes are now focused on the US position in Iraq and its
active involvement in Syria and Libya. Arab assessments are rather negative,
expecting an all-out American military retraction in the coming months. Despite
the use of honeyed diplomatic statements by the Biden Administration, the real
developments on the ground are worrying. Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Mohammed
bin Salman are sure to be on edge in the coming weeks.
The US’ apparent decision to put its long-term strategic
relationship with Saudi Arabia under pressure is a surprising one. It has been
confirmed that the US has removed its most advanced missile defense system and
Patriot batteries from Saudi Arabia in recent weeks.
The removal of the defense system was done despite repeated
requests made by Saudi officials and royals to keep the weapon systems in place
to counter continued air attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The Yemeni rebels,
who are officially designated as terrorists and widely known to be supported by
Iran, have been stepping up their rocket and drone attacks on Saudi civil and
commercial targets (airports and oil and gas targets) again. The US unilateral
decision to redeploy the anti-missile systems and Patriots from Prince Sultan
Air Base outside of Riyadh is remarkable, especially taking into account that
most US-Gulf allies are worried about the fall-out of the Afghanistan disaster.
Analysts in Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, and Bahrain are also very
worried about possible new US plans to even remove large parts of the tens of
thousands of American forces in the region, now in place as a bulwark against
Iran and possible insurgencies. Biden’s focus on his new military power theatre
in Asia is the underlying basis for the ongoing troop movements. Most Gulf
states, especially Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are especially worried due to the
unsuccessful Iran JCPOA talks, leaving Tehran in a position to increase its
nuclear programs.
For most Gulf Arabs, but also Egypt, the new Biden moves are
a clear continuation of the Obama-Trump strategies, which shows a possible end
to the US military and security involvement. Since Biden took office, the
US-Saudi relationship has soured dramatically. Biden’s pressure (or even
perceived attacks) on OPEC to open up the valves as gasoline prices in the US
went up, combined with his continuation of the JCPOA discussions have severely
cooled Saudi (and Emirati) love for Washington.
Biden’s push to open up the 9/11 files in the coming weeks,
the first batch having already been published, has only added to Saudi
discontent. Washington’s obsession with MBS as the mastermind behind the
Kashoggi murder has pushed the Kingdom’s rulers into a corner. At the same
time, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who is on a tour of the Gulf,
stated that he has indefinitely postponed his visit to Saudi Arabia. Officials
at the Pentagon said that this was due to "scheduling issues", but no
Saudi will believe that. The fact that the US SecDef was able to visit Doha,
Kuwait, and even Bahrain, but not Riyadh is a clear affront. Saudi Arabia
remains the most powerful US ally in the region, and recent US moves in the
region are unlikely to go unanswered. Anger in Riyadh could become costly for
Washington in the long run. Last week, Saudi Prince Turki Al Faisal, Saudi
Arabia’s former intelligence chief and well-connected in Washington, warned the
Biden Administration that the Kingdom and the Middle East need to be reassured
of American commitment. He openly criticized a possible withdrawal of Patriot
missiles from Saudi Arabia at a time when Saudi Arabia is the victim of missile
attacks and drone attacks, not just from Yemen, but from Iran.
A lack of trust is emerging that is sure to hold negative
results for US and Western interests. Frederick Kempe, president of the
Atlantic Council, stated in an opinion piece that the situation in Afghanistan
threatens U.S. President Joe Biden’s narrative that Washington is “once again a
reliable ally and partner, following the uncertainties that grew among them
during the Trump administration.”
Biden’s move to widespread declassification of documents relating to the
September 11, 2001 attacks will also have major repercussions. Even if no
anti-Saudi facts emerge, the continuing media and political barrage on the
Kingdom is likely to force it to reassess its position.
In the coming months, a major geopolitical and economic
shift will emerge in the Gulf region. The already weakened US position is
clear, and Biden does not appear to be enhancing American interests. Saudi
Arabia, the UAE, and others will be looking for new power players, and some are
already knocking at the door (Russia, China). While a complete loss of
influence in the region is unlikely, the impact of statements coming from
Washington has certainly diminished.
The Kingdom’s ongoing reorientation to the East is being
pushed by Washington, opening the doors for Moscow, Beijing, and Delhi. OPEC+
policies will also be impacted by Biden’s moves, as the Kingdom, Abu Dhabi, and
Moscow hold new power in their hands. A
stronger OPEC+ or China (Moscow/India)-GCC relationship will be more costly for
Washington than Biden’s Administration appears to understand. The
Energy-Military-Economic Nexus still exists, but now with other players holding
the strings. Ultimately, hydrocarbons still fuel the military and the global
economy, and Biden is playing a dangerous game.
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