In the Middle East the village headman is usually referred to as the Mukhtar, the chosen one, chosen by the ruling force in the country, selected to administer the district with the backing of the government's money.
I watched the show in the reception palace in Riyadh with eyes that may have seen the proceedings differently than many other people.
What I saw was a carefully staged spectacle in which the Saudis brought together most of the political leaders in the Islamic World to witness President Trump's acceptance of Saudi leadership in the Middle East.
In the Arab World when someone submits to you and accepts your money as a follower and tool, the culturally authentic thing to do is to make the experience as painless as possible.
The Saudis will now expect that the US will understand that their $110 billion in defense purchases and $40 billion in contributions from the Saudi state's sovereign wealth fund will buy power in Washington and that their carefully and politely stated demands will be greeted with great receptivity in the future.
The Israelis are a bit shaky about this? Well, pilgrims, they should be. They have spent a lot of time and effort and a fairly limited amount of money constructing an apparat in AIPAC that successfully manipulates both US policy and public opinion. And now the Saudis have simply bought the same thing with all that money? This must be disheartening for the Israelis and their supporters in the US.
The "rub" will come of course when the Saudis try to crack the whip over Trump. pl
http://time.com/4787797/donald-trump-yemen-saudi-arabia-arms-deal/
Yes, the image of the American President trumpeting trade deals in the country that nurtured most of the 9-11 attackers was rather disheartening.
More interesting to me was that the Kushners received rabbinical waiver to fly to the ME on the sabbath. Ivanka substituted for Trump (who pleaded exhaustion) at a social event in Riyadh. Any sign that the substitution was taken as a backhander by the Saudis?
Posted by: wisedupearly | 22 May 2017 at 10:54 AM
Colonel, why do you assume that Israel and Saudi Arabia are at odds? On most ME policy questions, they're on the same side. A victory for one party can hardly be considered a defeat for the other.
Posted by: Seamus Padraig | 22 May 2017 at 11:10 AM
Seamus Padraig
Israel and Saudi Arabia are not allies. Thr Izzies seek to use SA for limited purposes of their own but the last thing they want to see is as close a relationship between the US and SA as Trump walked into in Riyadh. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 22 May 2017 at 11:19 AM
"The "rub" will come of course when the Saudis try to crack the whip over Trump."
Maybe the spectacle of Trump 'submitting' was all they planned on, and anything further will be gravy.
Posted by: DH | 22 May 2017 at 11:20 AM
Trump is used to such artificial backdrops and insincere flattery. He uses those props himself to convince others to sign deals with him. I doubt that he falls for them.
Posted by: b | 22 May 2017 at 11:35 AM
b
To clarify, Trump believes in his own control of the situation. The Saudis think they have hired him. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 22 May 2017 at 11:49 AM
"Our responsibility before god and our people and the whole world is to stand united to fight the forces of evil and extremism wherever they are ...
The Iranian regime represents the tip of the spear of global terrorism."
"We will never be lenient in trying anyone who finances terrorism, in any way or means, to the full force of the law."
https://pando.com/2013/12/19/the-war-nerd-saudis-syria-and-blowback/
their #1 export...
LOL!
"Oho!" said the pot to the kettle;
"You are dirty and ugly and black!
Sure no one would think you were metal,
Except when you're given a crack."
"Not so! not so!" kettle said to the pot;
"'Tis your own dirty image you see;
For I am so clean - without blemish or blot -
That your blackness is mirrored in me."
Posted by: YT | 22 May 2017 at 12:03 PM
Trump has a well-deserved reputation for ripping people off. One hopes he might pull a fast one on the Saudis too.
Posted by: Outrage Beyond | 22 May 2017 at 12:21 PM
And the spectacle includes the fact that he chose Saudi Arabia for his first foreign jaunt as president, not the usual northern and southern neighbors or closest European allies. That can't be lost on people either.
Posted by: Annem | 22 May 2017 at 12:23 PM
Colonel if I may ask, what do you think the Saudis can do with 110 billion in new arms, what else they can buy that they already don't have? it was just two years ago they signed a deal with Obama for 60 billion in new arms. Beside Iranians and Shia, who are they going to use these new arms against, when Iran and here allies they don't even have the current level of Saudis and other gulf states' sophisticated modern western armaments. IMO what will happen to these arms in future is what that scares the hell out of Izzes more than Iran does. Israelis most be worried what will happen, if like in Iran of 1979, and Shah' arm purchases, the Saudi monarchy is overthrown, who will become in possession of these arms and what his policy will be toward Israel.
Posted by: kooshy | 22 May 2017 at 12:34 PM
The Saudis can crack the whip by whitholding payment (the old Stop Payment phone call to the bank). The most interesting obsevation is the order of the visit: Mecca, Jerusalem and finally Vatican city Rome. Netanyahu is pissed that Trump didn't move the embassy as promised. He is also unhappy that he now has to make some concessions at the Palestinians. If KSA gets Patriots and THAAD, there goes an arm race for Syria an Iran ( maybe also Turkey) will get upgraded S300s and there goes the IDF invincibility.
Forget North Korea, it is too onerous even for DJT. USA-UK-Saudi-UAE-Israel-France-Germany-Turkey to attempt instead their desired land invasion of Syria from Jordan. Damascus may be hit big time ......An impending regional war with Iran (Elam & Media) possibly hitting back at Saudi Arabia (Isa 21).....Will this end up with a global war at Har Meguido, Israel?
Posted by: Lurker | 22 May 2017 at 12:57 PM
All
Why do you think US administrations of both political parties want to be so deeply enmeshed in the affairs of the ME?
Please don't pitch the petrodollar conspiracy theory as it has no factual validity from an economic, financial and forex perspective.
Posted by: Sam Peralta | 22 May 2017 at 01:12 PM
Colonel - Thank you for this perspective. It is new to me and I appreciate your knowledgeable input.
Question, if Trump doesn't "deliver" or "perform" (what is the correct word?), what would be Saudi response...what
is their leverage in this situation?
Posted by: Laura | 22 May 2017 at 01:25 PM
There is a Muhtar(Turkish spelling for Arabic "Mukhtar") in urban, westernized precinct of Istanbul where I live. As far as his influence and power is concerned, he is a joke. However, in the remote, eastern country regions, where civilization and urbanization levels are low, and where the state and the law can not exercise immediate control conveniently, the Muhtar is the top dog. The most powerful official in the region.
There is a point in this difference with distinction which I have not been able to relate to the good Colonels's analogy regarding Trump and the Saudis.
Maybe someone can help.
Posted by: Kunuri | 22 May 2017 at 01:34 PM
The Saudis think they bought and now own Trump. Trump is too stupid to realize that. When Trump realizes what happened he will use the excuse that he was jet-lagged and too tired to realize what was going on.
Trump thinks he is pretty smart but he is a one trick pony. He was born on third base which got him into NY real estate. He knows NY real estate and how to hire the right lawyers to accomplish his goals there and to fix/cover for his mistakes. That's it.
He really needs somebody like pl to advise and set him straight on some of this complicated Middle East stuff. Trump is in way, way over his head. It is amazing that his supporters are OK with him sucking up to the Saudis, simply amazing.
Posted by: Randy | 22 May 2017 at 01:39 PM
Former Indian diplomat MK Bhadrakumar has offered his take on Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia.
Bhadrakumar cites comments made by Secretary of State Tillerson during the visit regarding American relations with Iran. Particularly interesting is this remark:."In all likelihood, we will talk at the right time."
http://blogs.rediff.com/mkbhadrakumar/2017/05/22/trumps-saudi-visit-wasnt-about-islam-or-iran-its-about-america-first/
Posted by: Liza | 22 May 2017 at 01:42 PM
Col,
Thank you for this statement. Exactly my thought.
"The Israelis ... have spent a lot of time and effort and a fairly limited amount of money constructing an apparat in AIPAC that successfully manipulates both US policy and public opinion. And now the Saudis have simply bought the same thing with all that money?"
Posted by: TonyL | 22 May 2017 at 02:13 PM
It's pretty disheartening to see the USA aligning with vicious cutthroats like the Saudis.
I guess I'd better get used to it.
Posted by: plantman | 22 May 2017 at 02:18 PM
"bolivars" - sorry - I don't know that word and don't find it in any dictionary. Nor does it seem mistyped. Could someone care to explain it to this foreigner?
Posted by: b | 22 May 2017 at 02:59 PM
Saudis know how Trump feels about them and they don’t own him they way they did Clinton. They have to suck up to him to minimise the damage. I don't see Trump changing his opinions on Syria, Russia or Iran, rhetoric is just that, but Palestine could be an area he might be flexible on for the Saudis.
That said I think this under estimates the power of the Israel lobby, media, finance etc.
Posted by: LondonBob | 22 May 2017 at 03:14 PM
Saudi Arabia and Israel are allies in the material and psychological war against secular, modern Arab countries. It is a war which the United States has been fighting on behalf of Riyadh and Tel Aviv for decades.
Posted by: luxetvritas | 22 May 2017 at 03:26 PM
luxetvritas
That is much too simple a view of the situation and it misses all the nuances of the relationships. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 22 May 2017 at 04:01 PM
LondonBob
You don't seem to have understood my post. The Saudis think they will either get his compliance with their wishes or they will start dragging their feet on all this money. they will do this by delaying projects, trenches of payments and all the other tricks that they and their foreign kafir advisers will come up with. None of Trump's people seem to have ever done business with Arabs. I am surprised that Tillerson does not see this. You can be sure that the Israelis see it. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 22 May 2017 at 04:05 PM
b
Sorry. Damned auto-correct. The word was supposed to be "believes." Actually "bolivars" are a unit of currency in S. America. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 22 May 2017 at 04:08 PM
Trumps speaks openly about what many have observed about Israel and Saudi Arabia. They have common geopolitical aspirations.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-israel-idUSKBN18I0BB
While the Saudis aspire to dominate the region, US and Israel may prefer extended chaos as it would further arms sales and force the Arab states to produce more oil.
Posted by: Les | 22 May 2017 at 04:11 PM