Used to be that Iran called us the "Great Satan" and we accused its revolutionary mullahs of being prime sponsors of Middle Eastern terrorism.

It's not that simple anymore.Certainly, Iran is still active on the terrorist front, stirring up Shiite communities from Lebanon to Saudi Arabia. But Sunni Sudan also has terrorist training camps now. The wars in Afghanistan and Bosnia blurred the line between Sunni and Shiite; volunteers of both sects fought there.

The returning mujahedin formed the terrorist core of a broader-based dissident movement that includes not only Islamic fundamentalists but an increas-ingly disaffected middle class. The thing to remember is it's homegrown.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the oil-rich Persian Gulf, whose kings, emirs and sultans are viewed as "Little Satans" by many of their subjects. U.S. support of these dissolute royals is greatly resented - and makes Americans terrorist targets.

Ostensibly, we're there to protect the gulf states from external threats. Between them, Iran and Iraq have a million men under arms, nearly 3,000 tanks and more than 500 warplanes. The six other gulf states have pitifully small armies - Saudi Arabia's totals only 158,000 men and Kuwait's 15,000-man force collapsed in less than a day to Iraqi invaders.

Hoping never to repeat that experience, the Gulf Cooperation Council is spending $50 billion a year on sophisticated arms, mostly American. And it has "internationalized" its security by signing defense pacts with Washington and other Western powers.

This has led to the stationing of 25,000 U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia and an expanded U.S. naval presence throughout the gulf.

What they're really there for is the oil.

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates contain 46 percent of the world's known oil reserves and 15 percent of its gas. Any toppling of their existing order would have far-reaching effects on the United States and other industrialized nations.

So, even if their rulers don't fit the American ideal of democracy, we prop them up. Defense Secretary William Perry says the gulf is one of the few places in the world worth fighting for.

View Comments

Before the gulf war, Kuwait suffered terrorism from the Islamic Call Party, an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood affiliated with Hezbollah. Once-tranquil Bahrain and Oman have resorted to mass arrests to quell their dissidents. And Saudi Arabia can no longer blame Iran for its problems.

The House of Saud, a sprawling oligarchy of 7,000 princes, has had to contend with Shiite terrorism since the 1970s. Iranian-inspired riots were a regular feature of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. But Shiite dissidents agreed to halt their opposition activities in 1993 in exchange for more jobs, mosques and other concessions - and they appear to be holding to that agreement.

Sunnis were responsible for a November bombing in Riyadh, which killed five Americans and two Indians. Three of the four culprits who were executed in May had fought in Afghanistan, one was a veteran of the war in Bosnia and three were from Nejd - the central region of Saudi Arabia that is traditionally a bedrock of support for the royal family.

Sunnis also are suspected in the June 25 bombing that killed 19 American servicemen in Dahran. And no amount of finger-pointing by Congress can protect our soldiers from determined terrorists - who may have nukes next time around.

Join the Conversation
Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.