November 13, 1995
Web posted at: 11:25 a.m. EST (1625 GMT)
From CNN World Affairs Correspondent Ralph Begleiter
The Saudi government has come under increasing pressure in the past few years from increasingly militant Islamic religious devotees within Saudi Arabia. They believe King Saud's support for the United States and for the Middle East peace process has gone too far. This is a phenomenon in some ways similar to the religious opposition within Israel to the peace process, which resulted last week in Rabin's assassination.
In addition, some within Saudi Arabia strongly oppose the presence of U.S. military personnel and equipment on Saudi soil. These opponents believe such presence violates the sanctity of Saudi Arabia's custody of the two holy mosques in Mecca.
Two other possible elements in the Persian Gulf region might have contributed to Monday's bombing: One is the continuing hostility between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, since the war against Saddam Hussein was launched from Saudi territory. The other is Iran's opposition to the Arab-Israeli peace process, to Saudi Arabia's domination of Gulf politics, and to the Saudi alliance with the United States, the Iranian government's sworn enemy.
Although Saudi support for the peace process has been quiet, it has been steady. For example, the Saudi government has approved a small, but persistent U.S. military positioning inside Saudi Arabia since the war against Saddam Hussein. This includes pre-positioning of some military equipment and personnel, though not as much as the United States has wanted.
The Saudi government also has supported a gradual lifting of the economic trade boycott of international firms that trade with Israel. That shift has occurred without much fanfare, but even Israelis acknowledge now that the boycott is almost nonexistent. Many firms that once avoided trading with Israel out of fear of losing Saudi business now trade regularly and openly with Israel.
There has been Saudi public support for peace process "events," including the public appearance in Washington recently of Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud at the ceremony celebrating Israel's signing of the autonomy agreement with Palestine at the White House. Previously, the Saudis had sent a lower-level delegation.
The Saudis continue to resist resumption of financial support for Jordan, even after Jordan signed its peace treaty with Israel. But the Saudi government is actively financing other aspects of the peace process, including the newly autonomous Palestinian Authority's development projects in Gaza.
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