When I saw this blurb at Think Progress.org I went, "Huh," not inquisitively, just with a bit of surprise. The idea that the Saudis would give Bush the diplomatic equivalent of the old "hair-washing" excuse for turning down a state dinner, especially as there are numerous family and business ties between the Bushes and the House of Saud, was odd. Relations between the Kingdom and the Republic have been strained, especially because 11 of the 19 9/11 hijackers happened to be citizens of the Kingdom, and there are a plethora of reports on official and unofficial Saudi support for all sorts of nefarious activities that run counter to stated American interests. Yet, officially, the two countries have pretty good relations; Prince Bandar bin Sultan, former ambassador to the US was once a favorite guest on American television, and the current king, Abdullah, is a model of a modern major monarch (with apologies to Gilbert and Sullivan).
Then I reflected on this article from The New York Review of Books by George Soros that highlighted a recent intervention by the Saudis over disputed governance in Palestine, with the Saudis brokering a deal between Hamas and Fatah that seemed to settle the first stirrings of what might have been a destructive civil war. Of course, British and American refusal to recognize Hamas as a legitimate player in Palestine, or its legitimacy as a partner in Palestinian governance has been an on-going obstacle to moving forward in any kind of substantive solution to the Israeli-Palestinian issue; it seems the Saudis are filling the vacuum left by American stubborn intransigence.
Then, courtesy of The Huffington Post, I saw this from the AP, in which King Abdullah, speaking at an Arab summit, called Iraq "beloved", and the American occupation "illegitimate". It would seem, with King Faisal gone, Abdullah has finally found his legs, and voice, and American strategic thinking towards the Middle East are going to have to change accordingly. No longer the passive partner of the United States, it would seem that the Saudis are more than willing to do the hard work of actually doing something about the multiple conflicts on its borders, conflicts that threaten to engulf it as well.
So, the questions are answered. The Saudis told Bush they were washing their hair because, to extend the feminine metaphor a bit, it would seem they need the US like a fish needs a bicycle. Things are getting more and more interesting all the time.
BTW, I wonder when Bob Novak will start writing columns about "Who lost Saudi Arabia?"
