Traffic Cop in an Unsettled Region

This month, Riyadh is seeing more diplomatic traffic than usual as high-level envoys from the US, Germany and other nations seek to gain the support of the Saudi government for various initiatives to promote peace in the region. As Bernhard Zand writes, the hidden backdrop for this flurry of activity is the ambiguity of Saudi intentions and the fact that the nation may represent the best stronghold against radical Islam in the Middle East. Like most oligarchies, the Saudi government wants stability, both internal and external, above all else. But the government is also nervous about fissures developing in its own society as well as in the region as a whole, nervous enough to push for aggressive opposition to Shiite extremists all over the Middle East. In essence, Saudi Arabia has become a swing state of sorts in Middle Eastern politics. For the US and Europe, the difficulty will be to obtain Saudi support for peace initiatives in Iraq, Israel-Palestine and Lebanon without encouraging the kingdom’s bellicosity toward Iran. This balancing act, if successful, may secure increased Saudi aid in reining in Sunni extremists, while terrifying Shiite militants into negotiations. If it fails, the results will be unfathomable. – YaleGlobal