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Article: The politics of oil: U.S.-Saudi relationship shows cheap fuel comes at a price. (World).(United States/Saudi Arabia)
- Article from:
- National Catholic Reporter
- Article date:
- October 19, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 National Catholic Reporter. 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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Call it a marriage of convenience or an unholy alliance, the relationship between the world's most powerful democracy and a repressive monarchy almost as severe as the Taliban could grow even stronger in the wake of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. Those attacks are calling new attention to the costs and benefits of the alliance between the United States and Saudi Arabia.
At the heart of the alliance is oil -- Saudi Arabia's possession of it, the United States' reliance on it and the perceived need to defend U.S. access to it. Throw into the mix billions of dollars in lucrative arms sales the United States has made to Saudi Arabia, a sophisticated regional ...