Saudi Arabia struggled Sunday to assemble an Arab coalition that would give the U.S. and other Western countries vital political backing for airstrikes on the Syrian regime.
How come the usual suspects on the left don't complain that the Arabs want us to fight their wars for them?
How come the usual suspects on the left don't complain that the Arabs want us to fight their wars for them?
(WSJ) Saudi Arabia, long the most passionate advocate of tough international action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, struggled Sunday to assemble an Arab coalition that would give the U.S. and other Western countries vital political backing for airstrikes on the Syrian regime.
Even beyond the Syria crisis, Arab analysts and diplomats said Sunday, Arab states were re-examining fundamental security strategies in the wake of President Barack Obama's unexpected decision on Saturday to put on hold proposed U.S.-led attacks on Syrian military targets pending a U.S. congressional vote on such an operation later this month.
Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al Faisal indirectly acknowledged Sunday that the Arab world remained reliant on the U.S. as the region's policeman of last resort against transgressions by fellow Arab states, as well as the Arab world's top tier of protection against Iran.
"There is no capacity in the Arab world to respond to this kind of crisis," Prince Saud said, speaking of Syria. He bitterly faulted the deadlocked United Nations Security Council for failing to approve international military action, two years into a Syrian conflict that the U.N. says has killed more than 100,000 people.
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