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04/29/2003 Archived Entry: "US pulls out of Saudi Arabia"

BUT I THOUGHT ALL THE AMERICANS WANTED WAS AN EMPIRE?: U.S. Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld has announced that the United States is pulling up stakes from Saudi Arabia. The U.S. will move air command centre from Saudi Arabia to the al-Udeid air base in neighbouring Qatar and close down its remaining operations at the Prince Sultan base by the end of this summer.

This is pretty big. Though both the U.S. and Saudi Arabia says the move isn't over differences between the two, it's hard to believe that Saudi Arabia's refusal to allow flights into Iraq during the recent war didn't play some role in America's decision.

It's going to have some effect on Saudi Arabia's rulers. Although their people see the Americans as occupiers, Saudi Arabia's royal family saw them as protectors against extremist elements and ultimately the people themselves.