The Invisible Hand

Decision Time for Our Saudi Friends?

STRATFOR says that the new American policy toward the Palestinians is actually a challenge to Saudi Arabia. The Saudis made a solution to the Israeli/PLO conflict a prerequisite to their cooperation against Iraq and al Queda. But on Monday President Bush essentially said Palestine is a digression from the main topic and the time has come to choose sides in the war on state-sponsored terror. Which way will the Saud family decide?

Well, maybe a hint comes from Arab News, the Saudis' English language media organ. Today's edition is a cornucopia of rattling scimitars. Check out the top stories:

President Bush Said Exactly What the Israelis Wanted to Hear
Bush's Speech: A Vision of Permanent War
Bush Insulted Palestinians and Enraged Leadership of Arab World
Kingdom Studying Free-Trade Zone with Iraq

Objective journalism it ain't . . . but illuminating in it's way.

To cap it off there's an article lamenting "Internet disease.” One can only hope it's spreading.