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Article: Sharper lines in Arabia's sands. (border wars in Saudi Arabia) (International)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- January 21, 1989
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1989 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Sharper lines in Arabia's sands
WESTERNERS say that good fences make good neighbours. The bedouin tribes of the Arabian peninsula thought the desert was fence enough, until oil made proper borders matter; but oil caused such bitter quarrels that many borders were never properly drawn. The ceasefire in the war between Iran and Iraq seems to be encouraging other people in the neighbourhood to settle old disputes.
Last November Kuwait and Saudi Arabia formally ended their argument over a diamond-shaped territory known as the Neutral Zone (see map), which had the distinction of being-treated unofficially as OPEC's 14th member and produces more oil than some ...