Winston Churchill once explained to the naive among us that in politics there are no permanent friends or enemies, only permanent interests.
In realpolitik this is the number one rule. But wise politicians also know that an abandoned, left-for-dead friend can make a dangerous enemy. Besides, gratitude shows civility and builds up a good reputation. New friends will examine your records to judge your reliability. While changing lanes is acceptable in politics as in road traffic, sudden and aggressive change is reckless driving.
America these days is the world’s most dangerous driver, according to global polls, including ones conducted in allied Europe. Its foreign policies are regarded as selfish, uncivilized, and ungrateful. Just like John F. Kennedy — who said “What’s mine is mine, what’s yours is negotiable” — George W. Bush is basically telling us: What America does is right, what you do is subject to our judgment. International law, therefore, including its ultimate supervisor, the UN, is either a tool to legitimize American interests or “irrelevant”.
Take for example the case of Syria. During the 1991 Gulf War, Syria sided with America against Iraq and continued to cooperate with American intelligence afterwards. After Sept. 11, it handed America priceless files on Al-Qaeda. It voted with America in a number of important resolutions, including the recent one authorizing the US occupation of Iraq. During the war on Iraq, it didn’t support Saddam, especially after it was assured it wouldn’t be next.
Such a good record would have helped with anyone. Not with America, especially under this administration. Instead of showing gratitude, Syria was put on the list of the most ripe-for-change regimes. It was, suddenly, a dangerous, failed, evil enemy state. Why? Mama Israel said so.
We Saudis are learning the same lesson. In the 1980s, America orchestrated the jihad to drive the Soviets from Afghanistan. Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Pakistan were partners in the US-led alliance. But as soon as the American goal of driving the Reds away was achieved, the US left without warning and left us to clear up the mess and live with the consequences. When the jihadis turned their anger from East to West, they became the child no one wanted to parent, America least of all. Not only that, but after spending $5 billion on cultivating the cult, America now blames the whole thing on the other parents, exactly as it did after dumping Nasser, the Shah, Marcos, Qaddafi, Noriega, Arafat and Saddam.
Tell that to the senators and congressmen threatening sanctions against Syria and Saudi Arabia, and what you will get is what abandoned friends always get from America: A finger and a cold shoulder.
