Jihadist Terrorism
Root causes

Saudi Arabia’s Phony War on Terror

Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

Saudi Arabia’s Phony War on Terror

BERLIN – Containing the scourge of Islamist terror will be impossible without containing the ideology that drives it: Wahhabism, a messianic, jihad-extolling form of Sunni fundamentalism whose international expansion has been bankrolled by oil-rich sheikhdoms, especially Saudi Arabia. That is why the newly announced Saudi-led anti-terror coalition, the Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism, should be viewed with profound skepticism.

Wahhabism promotes, among other things, the subjugation of women and the death of “infidels.” It is – to quote US President Barack Obama’s description of what motivated a married couple of Pakistani origin to carry out the recent mass shooting in San Bernardino, California – a “perverted interpretation of Islam,” and the ideological mother of jihadist terrorism. Its offspring include Al Qaeda, the Taliban, Boko Haram, al-Shabaab, and the Islamic State, all of which blend hostility toward non-Sunnis and anti-modern romanticism into nihilistic rage.

Saudi Arabia has been bankrolling Islamist terrorism since the oil-price boom of the 1970s dramatically boosted the country’s wealth. According to a 2013 European Parliament report, some of the $10 billion invested by Saudi Arabia for “its Wahhabi agenda” in South and Southeast Asia was “diverted” to terrorist groups, including Lashkar-e-Taiba, which carried out the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

Western leaders have recognized the Saudi role for many years. In a 2009 diplomatic cable, then-US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton identified Saudi Arabia as “the most significant source of funding to Sunni terrorist groups worldwide.” Thanks largely to the West’s interest in Saudi oil, however, the Kingdom has faced no international sanctions.

Now, with the growth of terrorist movements like the Islamic State, priorities are changing. As German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said in a recent interview, “We must make it clear to the Saudis that the time of looking the other way is over.”

This shift has spurred the Kingdom to announce a “crackdown” on individuals and groups that fund terror. But, according to a recent US State Department report, some Saudi-based charities and individual donors continue to fund Sunni militants.

From this perspective, Saudi Arabia’s surprise announcement of a 34-country anti-terror alliance, with a joint operations center based in Riyadh, is a logical step, aimed at blunting growing Western criticism, while boosting Sunni influence in the Middle East. But, of course, the alliance is a sham – as a closer look at its membership makes clear.

Tellingly, the alliance includes all of the world’s main sponsors of extremist and terrorist groups, from Qatar to Pakistan. It is as if a drug cartel claimed to be spearheading a counternarcotics campaign. Listed as members of the alliance are also all of the jihadist citadels other than Afghanistan, including war-torn Libya and Yemen, both of which are not currently governed by a single authority.

Moreover, despite being touted as an “Islamic” alliance, with members coming from “all over the Islamic world,” the group includes predominantly Christian Uganda and Gabon, but not Oman (a fellow Gulf sheikdom), Algeria (Africa’s largest country), and Indonesia (the world’s most populous Muslim country).

The failure to include Indonesia, which has almost twice as many Muslims as the entire Middle East, is striking not only because of its size: Whereas most countries in the alliance are ruled by despots or autocrats, Indonesia is a robust democracy. Autocratic rule in Islamic countries tends to strengthen jihadist forces. But when democracy takes root, as in tolerant and secular Indonesia, the clash between moderates and extremists can be better managed.

Saudi Arabia’s dysfunctional approach is reflected in the fact that some alliance members – including Pakistan, Malaysia, Lebanon, and the Palestinian Authority – immediately declared that they had never actually joined. The Kingdom seemed to think that it could make that decision on behalf of the major recipients of its aid.

Add to that the unsurprising exclusion of Shia-governed Iran and Iraq, along with Alawite-ruled Syria, and it is clear that Saudi Arabia has merely crafted another predominantly Sunni grouping to advance its sectarian and strategic objectives. This aligns with the more hardline policy approach that has taken root since King Salman ascended the throne in January 2015. At home, Salman’s reign so far has meant a marked increase in the number of sentences of death by decapitation, often carried out in public – a method emulated by the Islamic State. Abroad, it has meant a clear preference for violent solutions in Bahrain, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.

A smaller Saudi-led Arab coalition has been bombing Yemen since March, with the goal of pushing back the Shia Houthi rebels who captured Sana’a, the capital, after driving the Saudi-backed government from power. Saudi warplanes have bombed homes, markets, hospitals, and refugee camps in Yemen, leading critics to accuse the Kingdom of deliberately terrorizing civilians to turn public opinion against the Houthis.

Saudi Arabia’s solutions have often controverted the objectives of its American allies. For example, the Kingdom and its Arab partners have quietly slipped out of the US-led air war in Syria, leaving the campaign largely in American hands.

But beyond Saudi Arabia’s strategic manipulations lies the fundamental problem with which we started: the Kingdom’s official ideology forms the heart of the terrorist creed. A devoted foe of Islamist terrorism does not promote violent jihadism. Nor does it arrest and charge with “terrorism” domestic critics of its medieval interpretation of Islam. Saudi Arabia does both.

This speaks to the main shortcoming of today’s militarized approach to fighting terrorism. Unless the expansion of dangerous ideologies like Wahhabism is stopped, the global war on terror, now almost a generation old, will never be won. No matter how many bombs the US and its allies drop, the Saudi-financed madrassas will continue to indoctrinate tomorrow’s jihadists.

Brahma Chellaney Brahma Chellaney, Professor of Strategic Studies at the New Delhi-based Center for Policy Research and Fellow at the Robert Bosch Academy in Berlin, is the author of nine books, including Asian Juggernaut, Water: Asia’s New Battleground, and Water, Peace, and War: Confronting the Global Water Crisi… read more

COMMENTS

Richard S. Stone JAN 4, 2016 Well, of course. Anyone who reads the newspapers even once a week can see through the Saudi charade. The Saudis have been loyal supporters of immense US oil consumption for decades now, and yet seem to want to maintain some bizarre religious war with the USA and the West. What can it mean? Clearly it is a gross form of internal and external hypocrisy, but why?

What I notice in the reports from KSA is that the rich Saudis do not seem to often run afoul of the religious law. Gradually I came to the conclusion that the Saudi law/religion (Wahhibism) is a way to drug the masses and avoid rebellion against the ruling elite. It works pretty well.

Wahhabism does not make for a productive or progressive society, which is of course, unfortunate, but that is a Saudi problem, not ours. At least it wasn't, until the Saudi Wahhabists decided to take down the World Trade Center. At that point it was reasonable for the USA to start oil shale production. It took a few years to get that going.

Not in our lifetimes is the wealth of the richest and ruling Saudis going to diminish in practical terms. In that sense and for that reason they will continue to influence the politics in the West. But they have to be seen as nothing more than rich criminals that have managed to seize the power in that country, as a continuing 'gift' from the British, who left them in power. Wahhabi Islam may be just one version of Islam, but it has been put in service of the ruling elite.

Personally, what is comical is the idea of abusing women in the name of religion and shooting and killing innocent and unarmed people for that same purpose. I mean, is this bravery or courage by these self-proclaimed fighters for Islam? It sounds more like the ultimate affirmation of Voltaire.

Read less Reply Comment Commented

Muhammad NaIya JAN 3, 2016 Sure enough but with the only siperpower backing them alongside a once great Britain why woild they care a hoot? They will fight for their sectarian agenda until the West realise too late it has been misled by the US's open support to a brutal Tribal Sunni Monarchy with dangerous ambitions. But then that would be another boot-on-the-ground all over again for the US and hr allies in the Middle East. Reply Comment Commented

Muhammad Talha Salam JAN 3, 2016 So if the Kingdom is such a devilish place, why doesn't the author take a moment and write in one of the local newspaper seeking its government to control its ties with it - economic and manpower, in particular. It is a characteristic of such authors that they only posit such issues on a platform that doesn't hurt their own interests! If your people are benefiting from that country, you should think before you writing a biased article. Reply Comment Commented

Mohammed Saleh DEC 28, 2015 The author repeats the Iranian propaganda: Saudi Arabia is evil and radical!! Like many extremist he was unable to see that Saudi woman get elected last month, he failed to see Saudi defense force backed with UN resolution trying to restore legitimate government of Yaman. He was completely blind to see King Salam reform plans for economy and definitely he did not hear about a liberal who has been appointed as ministry of eduction in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi has many challenge but they are trying to overcome. It is along with other Gulf states trying to modernized itself. Last and unlike Iran we sent hundred of thousands to not to be in militants group to support dictatorship in Syria or Iraq but to the west to learn and take Saudi to 21 st century Read less Comment Commented

Mohammed Saleh DEC 28, 2015 One last thing, we Saudis not sure who is our enemy!! ISIS leader called his supporters to through the government, Iran sends weapons and drugs to its supporters in the region with one aim to destroy Saudi Arabia. Extremists in West blame us for spreading the terrorism. I am sure we are in the write path Reply Comment Commented

Talal Serhan DEC 28, 2015 What surprise me is that the writer talks about what he called 'Wahabism' as if something new surfaced in the last three decades. People of Saudi Arabia and their relegion never changed for the last fourteen centuries.

Why did the writer not talk about the real and known events that ignited those troubles, begining with imperialism, extortion of Palastenian's land, the barbaric wars on Afganistan and Iraq. These attrocities has nothing to do with Saudi Arabia.

What is going on now is not happening on indian or european lands. Sunnies are doing their best to defend their lands and resources, no matter what those implanted agents and organisations do in order to distort the face of the relegion of peace 'Islam'.

And do not worry about women in Saudi, our respected and well treated mothers, sisters, wifes and daughters are neither 'mass raped' nor used publicly as entertainment toys. Read less Reply Comment Commented

Doug Badger DEC 28, 2015 The article is fine as far as it goes, but it neglects to mention that the Sunnis represent only one side of an ethnic and sectarian war. On the other side are Shiite terrorists actively supported by Iran. ISIS is to some extent a reaction to Iran’s regional ambitions in Mesopotamia, Syria and Lebanon. And while it is true that the Saudis are aiding terrorists, it is also the case that Iran is as well.

Nor is support for terrorists limited to the Saudis (and other Gulf State potentates) and Tehran. Russia and the West are providing military support for warring terrorist factions. Russian intervention benefits Hezbollah and what can fairly be described as a terrorist regime in Damascus, if one accepts widespread atrocities as a hallmark of terrorism. The U.S. abets the acquisition of territory by Shiite militias, which routinely results in persecution of Sunnis in villages that have been “liberated” from ISIS control. Both claim to be involved in a war against terrorism and each rightly accuses of taking actions that benefit some terrorist factions, while leaving others largely unmolested. Moscow and Washington are playing at the perimeters of what one commentator has said may be a “sun-drenched version of the Thirty Years War.” They are entangled in a struggle they cannot understand and whose course they will not control. Read less Reply Comment Commented

peter fairley DEC 28, 2015 At the link this author gives, we can read Hillary Clinton's 2009 cable say: 'we want to increase our cooperative efforts to ensure that extremists and terrorists do not exploit charitable giving.'

This is what I would like to see an article explore. What real efforts have Western powers made to help Saudi Arabia control where the charitable moneys go and how much has Saudi Arabia cooperated. Reply Comment Commented

Waleed Addas DEC 28, 2015 This article promotes hate of a peaceful country and is replete with lies. Also the title is misleading since the author reached to talk about the 'war in Yemen' towards the last para without giving clear evidence of the war account. Before the date of the article, Pakistan has confirmed its membership in the International Alliance contrary to what the author is claiming and Indonesia is negotiating to join the Compact and has not ruled out it's participation. The main source of terror in the region is from the unsettling of the Palestinian issue -- allowing Israel to be always above any international law. Another important and recent source of terror was the US led invasion of Iraq that has ushered in so much crimes and evil at global scale. These 'two permanent friendly States' have a lot to answer for the killings of innocent millions of civilian lives in the region. It was Bush who coined the term 'war on terror' and not Saudi Arabia which enabled the environment to breed so much terror as a result of this stupid war.

Saudi Arabia is one of the most peaceful and safe countries in the world and this is the testimony of many expats who live and work in the country with lowest levels of crime: At least no widower wife was ever allowed in Saudi Arabia to burn herself alive or for a citizen to believe in the holiness of a cow ! These are the phony ideologies that need to be changed and you are advised to read more on Islam before jumping with others into the wrong and very simplistic diagnosis and naïve conclusions. Read less Reply Comment Commented

Mark Fichman DEC 27, 2015 I would like to see a simple test of the Saudi commitment to fighting terrorism. For any person identified as a terrorist or explicit supporter of terrorism by some agreed upon definition, Saudia Arabia agrees to deny that person entry to Saudia Arabia for life. For example, Ayman al-Zawahiri or Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi or anyone in any way affiliated with their organizations (Al-Qaeda or ISIS) can not make the Hajj to Mecca. This would deny them the opportunity to fulfill a fundamental obligation of Islam. This would include anyone financing these organizations. This has three nice features. First, it is a simple, low cost deterrent. Second, it is a simple low cost test of Saudi commitment. Third, anyone who joins these organizations in the future out of a commitment to Islam will be in an existential religious bind. Read less Reply Comment Commented

eusebio manuel DEC 25, 2015 Merry Christmas Project Syndicate Stop Wars in World Reply Comment Commented David Morgan DEC 25, 2015

The age of oil is coming to the end, to paraphrase Sir Winston Churchill.

Now this is not the end of oil, It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the beginning end of the end of the age of oil. With this comes the end of Western reliance on Saudi oil and so we can address this evil regime as what it is the father of Middle East terrorism, and act accordingly. Read less Reply Comment Commented

Paul Daley DEC 24, 2015 The question Americans should ask themselves is why the fight against ISIS is worth the alienation of Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, three of our closest allies in the region. Have we no interests in the region that go beyond this fight with ISIS? Comment Commented

Rene Wang DEC 25, 2015 The US has had numerous allies: the Shah, Saddam, just to name a few. Are you still confused about the definition of allies? Leave the middle east alone. If the world can contain the fight within the region, it will be the best possible scenario. In the meantime, the world can wean itself off the middle eastern oil. Reply Comment Commented

Harsh Ray DEC 24, 2015 It is time to call the House of Saud the House of Evil. By fanning jihadism, Saudi Arabia has done more to undermine regional and international security than probably any other country. This excellent article is just the latest in a string of op-eds exposing the Saudi role. It must be read along with this op-ed published in the New York Times last month: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/21/opinion/saudi-arabia-an-isis-that-has-made-it.html Comment Commented

John Doyle DEC 27, 2015 Hear Hear!! All religious extremism is despicable. The latest lot, Salafi Wahhabism as despicable as any other. Saudi Arabia, by one account, is busy trying to bankrupt the US fracking industry as reprisal for US reaching out to Iran. The Saudi's are exporting Wahhabism everywhere they can along with the islamic refugees. Germany has already complained about Wahhabi mosques being put up there. Luckily, but perhaps too late, Saudi Arabia will collapse before too long. Reply Comment Commented

Alex Leo DEC 23, 2015 Saudi Arabia has a lot to be blamed for, but starting, attempting a coalition against terror is not one of those things.

How about the author writes about India's phony war on corruption, the complete disregard of its own population and the enormous social issues facing India?

Any criticism, even legitimate, rings hollow and politically motivated when it is directed exclusively at political enemies. It is very easy to criticize the Saudi, the US, China, Russia if you are an Indian 'intellectual', there will always be support, but this is intellectual populism, how about tacking a hard issue close to home. Read less Comment Commented

R H DEC 28, 2015 One swallow doesn't make a flock so one article focused on a calling a spade a spade doesn't mean that that a reply has to Side track the comp,ex issue that the world faces. Accpeting culpability and responsibility for ines action is harder than passing the buck because it absolves blame. Reply Comment Commented

Can Calhan DEC 22, 2015 It is the hypocritical policy of the West which failed to defend the principles of democracy, regardless of countries. It was known that Saudi Arabia has been promoting the ideology. However, the West pretend not to see it. It is too late and too little that Sigmar Gabriel made a statement through a diplomatic language. Witnessing that the West, particularly America, built a coalition to introduce democracy in Syria by building a civil army, generated perfect conditions for jihadists, demonstrates the hypocritical 'sincerity' of the West claiming to represent and export the true values of democracy. Was Syria less democratic than Saudi Arabia, Qatar and even current Turkey to prapere war conditions to cause historical, cultural and economic destruction, which happened through the technical power of weapons?. The West has lost its reliability and credibility in terms of for standing/defending democratic values and therefore support for its foreign policy. Read less Reply Comment Commented

PUNDALIK Kamath DEC 22, 2015 Just brilliant brief colomn. Reply Comment Commented

Bruno Berewono DEC 22, 2015 The Saudis are now the centre of world attention. We all know ISIS thrives on the Wahabism ideology: the violent and literal interpretation of Islam. Why are leading Saudi clerics not countering this ideology with something else. I read Kamel Daoud masterpiece in the New York times about DAESH and it's just brilliant. Bringing Countries together for an alliance for which you're the main financier can only be described as comedy of errors. It's a face saving approach House of Saud but it's Perhaps too little. Here is what you can do though. 1: Stop funneling millions of dollars to ISIS as a way of countering the rise of Hezbollah. The growth of ISIS is a global threat and it's obvious you've lost command over the leadership of ISIS. 2: leading Saudi clerics should start teaching their youth in the mosques about the negativity of IRISH. let the clerics speak against ISIS and spread that message world wide. 3: Stop creating new madrassas in poor and wartorn Pakistan and Afghanistan. Please use the money to establish educational institutions. 4: Invest in technical and vocational Institutions and help create jobs for all the young unemployed youth that are easily recruited by DAESH. Only this will show your commitment to the fight. For now your effort is too little. Read less Reply Comment Commented

Kudakwashe Kanhutu DEC 22, 2015 As long as Saudi Arabia and Turkey are not confronted in the War on Terror, then the West is aiming the fire hose not at the base of the flames but at the tip. You also be pleased to know that though I intend to see every country in the world, I have made up my mind not to visit these two objectionable countries. Reply Comment Commented

Julius Bloomfield DEC 22, 2015 A very good article. The Saudi's have not made it clear as to which terrorist group they are going to fight. They are currently fighting Shia terrorists in Yemen, and who they are going to fight in Afghanistan will be interesting as IS are fighting the Taliban, both Sunni but IS are more aligned to Saudi's ideology. So the question of the day for Saudi Arabia is 'which terrorists are you referring to?' When questioned directly if they meant they are going to fight IS they said 'all terrorists'. The royal family is in a tough position, trying to satisfy a growing radicalization int heir own country, and keeping the US and west satisfied that they are doing something to promote peace. This is at best lip service to the west, at worst it is an attempt to unite Sunni support against Shia terrorism (revolutionaries) within the middle east. It has the potential to be one of the most divisive moves in the middle east. Read less Reply Comment Commented

Peter Spyers-Duran DEC 21, 2015 The source of ISIS funding and weapons is pretty obvious. Comment Commented

Michael Public DEC 22, 2015 And the source of the source of ISIS funding is pretty obvious too. The US goes to great lengths to protect their friends - see Farenheit 911 revelations on the other Bin Laden's preferential treatment. Reply Comment Commented

atul baride DEC 21, 2015 An Eye Opener for the one who is subsumed with Opium. A Wake Up Call For one in Act of Sleep. Reply Comment Commented

Steve Hurst DEC 21, 2015 As no terrorist group can survive without the support in the resident population and IS appears to be surviving it follows that it is in fact supported by at least a proportion of the population Quite apart from any neighbours in ther region; within Syria it has been reported that 1 in 3 of members of Syrian rebel groups have sympathy for IS ideas The conflict is not going away anythime soon Read less