Dear Mr. Ghosh: You have recently written:
"Similarly, consider another grievance that is frequently adduced: U.S. support for the current regime in Saudi Arabia. This is to my mind one of the world's most horrible regimes. But the fact is that if a credible alternative existed, U.S. support could not have kept the House of Ibn Saud in place - look at the example of the Iranian Revolution. But the problem is that no one has bothered to create a real alternative in Saudi Arabia - least of all Osama bin Laden. " I am wondering what then is your explanation for this failure to create an alternative? I would think that this failure is at least in part a result of the fascist nature of the Sa'udi regime which as you know does not allow political parties, labor unions, a free press, unofficial websites, etc. And I would think that it is perfectly obvious that the House of Sa'ud's ability to maintain such a reign of oppression in part derives from the arms, intelligence and military personnel links that it enjoys with the US (see Michael Klare's documentation in Resource Wars)? By not allowing a credible alternative, the Sa'udi regime--which is a Taleban govt in the specific conditions of the Arabian peninsula; after all, the Saudis had been the sponsors of the Afghani Taleban govt--bolsters in effect the credibility of someone as monstrous as Osama bin Laden who as an underground fanatic can alone survive the repression of the Sa'udi regime. I am just baffled how you can imply that US support of the House of Sa'ud is not in important ways responsible for the possible popularity and recruiting success an organization like al Qaida may enjoy. This disavowal of the (indirect) role of imperialism in this crisis strikes me as ill-based. I also think there is little evidence (or possibility) that in terms of theocratic repression and labor oppression al Qaida would be worse than the present regime which has not only terrorized its own population but exported terror and repressive ideology worldwide (including among the Indian Muslim population): both the current regime and its present opponent seem to share the same outlook towards women, labor, non Muslims and of course Wahhibism. All the best, Rakesh Bhandari [EMAIL PROTECTED]
