Saudi-US Relations Information Service (SUSRIS) &
Saudi-American Forum (SAF) Quarterly Summary
A Review of July-September 2004 Production

Editor's Note:

This summary provides a compilation of SAF and SUSRIS interviews, essays, items of interest and special reports issued between July 1 and September 30, 2004.

Virginia Exports: Diversifying for New Saudi Demand
By Grant F. Smith
[SAF Essay #32 - September 29, 2004]

"Virginia has diversified manufactured and service exports to Saudi Arabia during the past five years.  Lower value added export categories, such as tobacco and beverages, have gradually ceded to machinery, computer equipment and electronic components.  Saudi imports currently provide just under 7,000 service and manufacturing jobs in Virginia.  Jobs could reach 10,000 in Virginia by 2013 under a modest growth scenario. ."
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Why Reforge the U.S. and Saudi Relationship?
An Interview with Anthony Cordesman
[SUSRIS Interview Series - September 28, 2004]

"Saudi Arabia has done a great many things to halt the financing of extremist movements or that can move into charities that have ties to terrorist groups. There's much better exchange of intelligence now. There's far better cooperation in providing techniques and training in terms of terrorism equipment, which the Saudis need. In the past, their security forces have simply not faced this kind of threat. There's cooperation on intelligence activity outside Saudi Arabia. And, this has helped in areas like Yemen, and it's helped in the Gulf as well as in Central Asia. Saudi Arabia has been much more careful about which religious movements it finances outside Saudi Arabia and whether these have ties to Islamic extremists." -- Anthony Cordesman  
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The Dynamics of Economic and Commercial Reform: Near-Term Prognoses
By Usamah Al-Kurdi
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - September 27, 2004]

Remarks by H.E. Usamah Al-Kurdi at the 13th Annual Arab-US Policymakers Conference.

"Well, reform is serious business in Saudi Arabia.  Very few people actually know that it started in 1993 when the four famous laws were issued.  The law to create the Shura Council.  The law to create regional councils in the 13 different regions of Saudi Arabia.  What we call the Basic Law of Governance of Saudi Arabia was issued that year.  And, the new law stipulating a term of four years for the ministers in Saudi Arabia.  So, these four laws were issued in 1993 and ever since I have been following the different reform steps that were taking place in Saudi Arabia very closely." -- Usamah Al-Kurdi  [Complete Item - HTML]

Robert Jordan's Crucible
By Jim Landers
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - September 26, 2004]

"He was the U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, with an elegant home and a team of Saudi bodyguards and armored vehicles. But after al-Qaeda bombed three American housing compounds last year, Robert Jordan was slipping out the back door in blue jeans and a ball cap, hiding in the back of a black GMC Suburban as his new U.S. diplomatic security team sped into the Riyadh night toward an 'undisclosed location'.. ..Chas. Freeman Jr., former President George H.W. Bush's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, came to the job after a career in government service rather than a friendship with the president. Some presidential friends want an ambassadorship because "it's the closest thing we have to a knighthood, and they want the title," Mr. Freeman said. 'But Bob Jordan was very definitely the exception," he added. "He gave this job everything he had.'"
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Beyond Anger and Counterterrorism: A New Grand Strategy for U.S. and Arab Relations
By Anthony Cordesman
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - September 25, 2004]

"..US and Arab relations are where they are today for many reasons, but one of them is that the Western and Islamic worlds have previously defined "tolerance" in terms of mutual ignorance, and in terms of governmental indifference at the ideological, political, and cultural level.." -- Anthony Cordesman  [Complete Item - HTML]

Arab World Economies: Prosperity Amidst Political Uncertainty
By Brad Bourland
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - September 23, 2004]

"You know I thought long and hard how I can add some value this afternoon to what really is a very simple story about the performance of the economies of the Arab world.  That simple story is that oil prices are $44 per barrel today. You really don't need to know a lot more than that.  Economically in the region, things are just fine.." -- Brad Bourland
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How to Reform Saudi Arabia Without Handing It to Extremists
By F. Gregory Gause III
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - September 22, 2004]

"The combination of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, rising oil prices, and the recent upsurge in violence in Saudi Arabia has made your political system enormously important to the rest of the world. Many observers in the West blame your schools and mosques for anti-Western hatred in the Muslim world. They portray your family's rule as both unstable and impervious to reform. Much of what is said about you outside the kingdom is, of course, uninformed or exaggerated for political effect. But external pressure will not disappear. Here are some steps you can take to placate your critics and strengthen your regime.." -- F. Gregory Gause III
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How to Reform Saudi Arabia Without Handing It to Extremists
Part 1
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - September 19, 2004]

The Middle East Institute and Foreign Policy magazine hosted a panel to discuss an article written by Professor Greg Gause titled, 'How to Reform Saudi Arabia Without Handing It to Extremists.'  The article took the form of a memorandum addressed to Crown Prince Abdullah noting that, "To survive, the monarchy must battle the militants, reassure the religious establishment, and give the middle class a taste of democracy." [Complete Item - HTML]

Part 2  
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - September 19, 2004]

"..I was reminded of a circumstance in the early 1980s when I was charge de affaires at the American embassy at that time. The late Senator Chaffee of Rhode Island scheduled a visit in July. In Saudi Arabia, anybody who can will be somewhere else in July, including much of the government. But, I did find a senior government official who was willing to meet with the Senator, that would be appropriate. He was also a prominent member of the royal family. The Senator and I came in and sat down, and the Saudi official took us from where we were that day in the early 1980s all the way to a constitutional monarchy. This was 20 years ago. This was a member of the family. So, these ideas are not brand new. They're not floating around among revolutionaries. They are widespread throughout the society.." -- Panel member James Placke
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Saudi Trial Could Alter Pace of Reform
Case Being Held in Open for First Time
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - September 19, 2004]

"The defendants face charges that by petitioning for democratic change in a country ruled for its entire 72-year history by the Saud royal family, they are undermining the government as it confronts an armed threat from Muslim militants.  What sets the case apart from scores of others involving Saudi dissidents is that for the first time the proceedings are being held in open court and watched closely by the Saudi news media, human rights activists, foreign diplomats and friends and families of the accused.."
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Shaybah Cafe: Saudi Aramco Gathers Business Leaders to Ponder Future
By Stephen L. Brundage and Rick Snedeker
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - September 13, 2004]

"The Shaybah Cafe gathered more than 40 of the Kingdom's most enterprising young business leaders and a score of Saudi Aramco executives on March 29 to talk about potential ways to help energize and secure the nation's economy for the Saudi children and grandchildren of tomorrow. The topic at Al-Aydh's most recent cafe was especially weighty: the future of Saudi Arabia's economy and the role of the private sector in stimulating growth. The event was sponsored by the Gulf chapter of the Society for Organizational Learning (SoL) and Saudi Aramco, which had many of its own executives taking part."
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The Impact of U.S. Visa Policies:
Implications for America's Economy  
An Initial Inquiry
By National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - September 12, 2004]

"I hope that our Saudi friends will be patient as they apply for their visas, but I do encourage them to come to the United States even though it's a little bit more difficult now than it might have been several years ago. Please understand the reasons for it, but do come.. ..We want to remain an open country, and we want to remain open to our Saudi friends to come and visit us." -- U.S. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell
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Saudi Arabia -- Tragedy and Triumph
By Peter C. Valenti
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - September 10, 2004]

"Like many Saudi writers, Ahmad al-Jar Allah, editor of Alseyassah, highlighted the success of Saudi efforts in his June 29 editorial. He also argued that, as a matter of course, Saudi counterterrorism efforts could not conform exactly to American dictates or methods because of the nature of the terrorist threat. Whereas the U.S. is battling a terrorist movement that challenges American foreign policy and its military venture in Iraq, he observed, the Saudis are dealing with a localized threat that aims to completely destabilize their country and overthrow their government."
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Crises and Opportunities in U.S.-Saudi Relations
Ambassador Robert Jordan Interview
[SUSRIS Interview Series - September 7, 2004]

"Ambassador Jordan recounted his experiences as U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from October 2001 to October 2003, his insights on bilateral cooperation in the war on terrorism and his assessment of the impact of election year politics on U.S.-Saudi relations and vice versa."
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Foreign Investment In Saudi Arabia's Energy Sector
By Gawdat Bahgat
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - September 1, 2004]

"What were the Saudi motives for inviting international oil companies (IOCs) back into their energy sector? What were the main characteristics of the Saudi Gas Initiative (SGI)? And, what was the outcome of this development?"
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Saudis Fight Militancy With Jobs
Private Posts Formerly Held by Foreigners Are Offered to Locals
By Scott Wilson, Washington Post Foreign Service
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - September 1, 2004]

"The campaign to bring Saudis into the workforce officially began in 1995 with a royal decree that private-sector companies must replace 5 percent of their foreign workforce each year with local nationals. Today, just 13 percent of the private-sector workforce is Saudi, or roughly 800,000 people, far below the 45 percent that was the goal for this year, say government officials, who began enforcing the law strictly only early this year."
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Saudi Arabia: Driving Michigan Export Growth
By Grant F. Smith 
[SAF Essay #31 - August 30, 2004]

"Grant Smith presents a powerful argument on how the American economy benefits from the strong, historic partnership in the arena of US exports to the Kingdom. Smith also presents an insightful discussion of anti-Saudi trade legislation "of little value to U.S. national security or America's international standing" pushed by politicians in a small band of states that may result in the loss of US exports, and jobs, to international competitors."
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The Day I Met My Dad
By Steve Furman
[SAF Item of Interest - August 28, 2004]

"This memoir of the early days of Americans working and living in Saudi Arabia is excerpted from the book, Dhahran Fables, Fiesta Room Tales by Steve Furman, Clark Magruder and Ann Peart.

"My father had left for Arabia in 1939 when I was eighteen-months-old. The war broke out, and he was cut off and isolated in Saudi Arabia with no way to get out or get home. I didn't know nor did I remember my father. I was now six-years-old, and my father to me was a snapshot in the family album."
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Saudi Arabia Launches New PR Campaign 
[SUSRIS News In-Depth - August 27, 2004]

"Saudi Arabia has launched two new radio advertisements in 19 cities across the United States. These radio ads, entitled "Speculation" and "Fear," highlight the recently released findings of the 9/11 Commission Report. Both ads feature the finding that there was "no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded the organization" Al Qaeda."
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U.S.-Saudi Relations: A Glass Half Empty, Or Half Full?
An Interview With Thomas Lippman
[SUSRIS Interview Series - August 26, 2004]

"Understanding the breadth and depth of the U.S.-Saudi relationship -- given the current complexities and strains characterizing the issues that unite and divide Americans and Saudis -- is no less a challenge than that which Lippman calls "opening the doors of the inner sanctum."
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Saudi Arabian Oil Fields Brimming
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - August 25, 2004]

"If global petroleum markets required it, Saudi Aramco could nearly double its current world-leading oil production output to 15 million barrels a day and comfortably sustain that rate for at least 50 years."

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Top Figures Prepare to Contest Polls
By P.K. Abdul Ghafour, Arab News
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - August 23, 2004]

"Prominent personalities including academics and businessmen are preparing to contest the Kingdom's first-ever municipal elections to be held from November into early 2005."
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Mosque by David Macaulay
[SUSRIS A Book Review - August 20, 2004]     

"Over 30 years ago architect David Macaulay began showing the world how great structures were built and how they fit into the societies that built them, with his debut of Cathedral.  The Mosque is his most recent exploration of architecture and culture.  While not a primer on Islam, it does provide an interesting perspective on the people who built and worshipped in the mosque described and illustrated in this fictional account."
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Saudi Arabia Ready To Boost
Crude Oil Output
[SUSRIS News In Depth - August 19, 2004]

"'The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with the other OPEC member countries,  endeavors to ensure the stability of the international oil market and prevent oil prices from escalating in a way that may negatively affect the world economy or oil demand,' said Ali Al-Naimi, Saudi Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.  Naimi noted Saudi Arabia already increased oil production during the past three months to meet the growing demand.  The increases amounted to over one million barrels per day, bringing to over 9.3 million barrels per day."
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How the Holy Warriors
Learned to Hate
By Waleed Ziad
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - August 18, 2004]

"..contrary to popular theories, the fight against militant religious groups in South Asia is not a clash of age-old civilizations or a conflict between traditionalism and modernism. Rather, it is a more recent story of political ineptitude and corruption, and of a postcolonial class struggle between the disenfranchised poor and these countries' elites.."
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Lunch with a Prince
By Steve Furman
[SAF Item of Interest - August 13, 2004]

"This memoir of the early days of Americans working and living in Saudi Arabia is excerpted from the book, Dhahran Fables, Fiesta Room Tales by Steve Furman, Clark Magruder and Ann Peart.

"There were lots of people at long tables, and I still remember how nice everything looked with flowers and everything.  Tom told me we were going to have lunch with Crown Prince Sa'ud of Saudi Arabia.  I remember asking if I could have rice pudding for dessert."
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Terror, Students, Policy and Relationships: 
A Congressman Looks to the Future
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - August 11, 2004]

"The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence conducted a hearing to discuss the 9/11 commission recommendations on August 4, 2004.  Representative Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-CA) contributed remarks concerning the US-Saudi relationship in the context of the war on terror during questioning of hearing witness Ambassador J. Cofer Black, State Department Counterterrorism Coordinator.  Mr. Cunningham spoke of his visit to Saudi Arabia, the close cooperation in the war on terror and on the prospects for maintaining close ties with particular emphasis on the dwindling number of Saudi students seeking American education."
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"The Ambush"
A Poem By Nimah Ismail Nawwab
[SAF Item of Interest - August 6, 2004]

"Nimah Ismail Nawwab was born in Malaysia. An English writer, editor and poet as well as photographer, her interests have led her to venture in various fields and work on diverse projects. Her interest in writing on Saudi society, customs, Islam, art, crafts, cuisine and calligraphy has led to numerous articles and essays that have been published in Saudi Arabia and abroad."
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How Does the Saudi Relationship With the Bush Family Affect U.S. Foreign Policy?
An E-mail Debate between Craig Unger and Rachel Bronson
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - August 4, 2004]

"Let's get right to the heart of your concern. You write:

"I agree. But, I'm not sure what free pass Bush has given them. I think the Bush administration has made a series of very serious and consequential mistakes, especially when it comes to the postwar planning in Iraq and how it is fighting the war on terror. But, where is the free pass for the Saudis?"  -- Rachel Bronson  

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Secretary Powell Interview
Al Ikhbariya Television, Saudi Arabia
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - July 30, 2004]

"I wanted to come and consult with my Saudi colleagues on the situation in the region. I wanted to talk about the fight against terrorism that the Saudis are so engaged in, and see how they are doing.  Also, I wanted to consult with my Saudi colleagues on the situation in Iraq.  And, finally, I wanted to explore with the Saudi leadership the idea they have for a Muslim initiative as a way of raising additional troops for support of the Iraqi interim government." -- U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell [Complete Item - HTML]

Saudi Arabia Proposes Sending Islamic Forces
to Iraq
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - July 29, 2004]

"Saudi foreign policy adviser Adel Jubeir was quoted as saying: "We're taking this initiative because a) we want to help the Iraqi people get back on their feet and reclaim their sovereignty as quickly as possible, b) because there is a tremendous desire in the Arab and Muslim world to help Iraq and help the Iraqi people get back on their feet and c) we're doing this because instability in Iraq has a negative impact on Saudi Arabia and stability in Iraq has a very positive impact on Saudi Arabia. We want to stabilize the situation in Iraq."
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The 9/11 Commission Report: Strengths and Weaknesses 
By Anthony H. Cordesman
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - July 29, 2004]

The United States needs to be very careful about rushing to act upon the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. This may seem to be a desirable instant solution to a difficult political problem in an election year. At the same time, the Commission report has more weaknesses than strengths. [Complete Item - PDF]

9/11 Commission Report -- Saudi Arabia
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - July 28, 2004]

"The leaders of the United States and the rulers of Saudi Arabia have long had friendly relations.. ..For many years, leaders on both sides preferred to keep their ties quiet and behind the scenes.  As a result, neither the U.S. nor the Saudi people appreciated all the dimensions of the bilateral relationship, including the Saudi role in U.S. strategies to promote the Middle East peace process.  In each country, political figures find it difficult to publicly defend good relations with the other.. ..Cooperation with Saudi Arabia against Islamist terrorism is very much in the U.S. interest.  Such cooperation can exist for a time largely in secret, as it does now, but it cannot grow and thrive there.  Nor, on either side, can friendship be unconditional.."

"Recommendation:  The problems in the U.S.-Saudi relationship must be confronted, openly.  The United States and Saudi Arabia must determine if they can build a relationship that political leaders on both sides are prepared to publicly defend.."   [Complete Item - HTML]

9/11 Commission Report -- Saudi Arabia
Flights of Saudi Nationals Leaving the United States  [Complete Item - HTML]

9/11 Commission Report -- Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia -- Recommendations  [Complete Item - HTML]

Drill Bits and Data Bytes: 
The Texas-Saudi Export Relationship
By Grant F. Smith 
[SAF Essay #30 - July 21, 2004]

"Texas leads the nation in manufactured equipment and services exports for the Saudi energy industry.  Texas exports also include information technology (IT) sector equipment, parts, accessories and services.

"Legislation targeting Saudi imports such as the Saudi Accountability Act of 2003 and onerous midnight politicking, such as the Weiner of New York Amendment, threaten Texas exports more than any other state."
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Saudi Society, Reform and Terrorism
By Dr. Haifa R. Jamal Al-Lail
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - July 20, 2004]

"..The historic relationship between our government and Islam is crucial. Our role as Custodian of Mecca and Medina is central to all that transpires in the Kingdom.. ..Saudi Arabia recently decided to hold its first elections. Let me say that this is a major step for our country. While it may seem that this process is slow to an outsider, to Saudis, the reform is happening very quickly.."
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From Exclusivism to Accommodation: 
Doctrinal and Legal Evolution of Wahhabism
By Abdulaziz H. Al-Fahad  
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - #1-5 - July-August, 2004]

"It is an often overlooked characteristic of the Wahhabi movement -- that it was born in a stateless society with the explicit purpose of forming a state -- that provides the explanation for its evolution from a revolutionary to a more quietist and accommodating ideology."

Part 1 - by Abdulaziz H. Al-Fahad   Part 2 - by Abdulaziz H. Al-Fahad   Part 3 - by Abdulaziz H. Al-Fahad
Part 4 - by Abdulaziz H. Al-Fahad   Part 5 - by Abdulaziz H. Al-Fahad

Joseph M. Myers Testifies 
U.S. Cooperation with Saudi Arabia on Combating Terror Financing
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - July 15, 2004]

"..The Saudis are regularly portrayed as either our worst enemies or our best, most loyal and steadfast allies. The reality in my limited experience is that our relationship with the Saudis has much in common with our other bilateral relationships: it is strategically important, and complex, and we seek to maximize areas where our interests overlap, while we minimize conflict in order to achieve as many of our common goals as possible. 

"The relationship is in the spotlight for good reason: we face a common deadly enemy in al Qaida, and neither of us anticipated how serious an enemy it would be. But the Saudis are fighting it with us, on many levels, including by pursuing a reform agenda inside the Kingdom. Whether they have taken the right steps, or taken them quickly enough, is a subject about which reasonable people can reasonably disagree. But there is no reasonable option other than to work with Saudi Arabia to fight al Qaida, and to support the Saudis' reform agenda in the process.."
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A Combustible Mix: Politics, Terror, Oil and the Future of the U.S.-Saudi Relationship
What Are the Prospects for Democracy in Saudi Arabia ?
Remarks by Chas W. Freeman, Jr.
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - July 13, 2004]

"There's been an explosion of writing about Saudi Arabia since 9/11.  I would say that there are very few things that have been written in that period that are anything but misleading, contentious or even malicious.. ..So, the next generation of Saudis far from remembering the United States with gratitude and Americans with affection, will remember us as the occupiers of Iraq and the supporters of Israeli brutality in the West Bank and Gaza.. ..Who loses from these trends that I have mentioned? .. The other big looser is us Americans.  We will no longer have the influence or the reliable friendship to call upon that we had had in Saudi Arabia.."
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U.S.-Saudi Relations:
Online Discussion with Rachel Bronson
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - July 13, 2004]

"The Bush Administration's position seems to be that the Saudi government is doing a lot to fight terrorism and can do even more. Since May 2003, Saudi Arabia turned a corner and began to aggressively go after some of the areas of concern. For instance, it's rounded up about 2,000 of the most radical clerics and dismissed them, or put them through "re-education" programs. An international group that carefully moderns laws regarding money laundering and terrorist financing have come back with a recent report saying that Saudi Arabia is complying with most international laws regarding financing. In addition, Saudi Arabia itself has closed down some of its most visible charities (i.e., al Haramain) and made it illegal for charities to fund outside the Kingdom. In addition, they are cooperating with the FBI and CIA to a greater extent than ever before. These are the kind of things that the Bush Administration wants to see. They still have a ways to go, but this is why word out of the Administration has been generally positive."
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Blackening the Face of Terrorism in Saudi Arabia
By Eric Watkins
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - July 9, 2004]

"Saudi Arabia appears to have scored something of a propaganda coup in its war against terrorism with the surrender of Othman al-Amri, an Islamist militant hunted by security forces for more than a year and reported to be number 21 among 26 most-wanted men named by the Saudi interior ministry last December. Amri's surrender came less than a week after Crown Prince Abdullah announced a month-long amnesty aimed at ending a wave of Islamist attacks that have shaken the Kingdom over the past year. Hardly had Amri turned himself in, than Saudi authorities, attempting to build on their apparent success, announced a second amnesty for ordinary citizens who possess unlicensed weapons." [Complete Item - HTML]

A Combustible Mix: Politics, Terror, Oil and the Future of the U.S.-Saudi Relationship
Remarks on the U.S.-Saudi Relationship 
By Thomas W. Lippman
[SUSRIS Item of Interest - July 8, 2004]

"I want to stress is that the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia precedes oil, goes far beyond oil and has covered, has applied to, has involved more areas of human endeavor than is commonly realized.. ..I think it's fair to say that other than religion, there's no aspect of contemporary life in Saudi Arabia that hasn't been affected or influenced by American input in one way or another over the past 70 years.." -- Thomas W. Lippman
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In Rare Public Dialogue, Saudi Women Talk Rights
By Faiza Saleh Ambah
[SAF Item of Interest - July 7, 2004]

"..For the first time I feel really optimistic. I think now's our time. Rights are not given, they're taken. And we're at a turning point. This is our moment. We need to seize it now. Otherwise future generations will never forgive us.."
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Playing Into the Enemy's Hands 
By Patrick J. Buchanan
[SAF Item of  Interest - July 1, 2004]

Al-Qaeda's strategic goal, which even Saudis belatedly realize, is to humiliate, isolate, and bring down the monarchy and deliver up the world's oil storehouse to an Islamist regime.. But why would Americans, unless they are unthinking, stupid, or malicious, advance the very outcome al-Qaeda seeks?.. ..Sharon's 
neoconservative allies here in America have called for the overthrow of the monarchy, declaring 
it an enemy.. ..If the Saudi monarchy goes down, who and what do we think is going to replace it?.. ..Now the idiot savants are calling for the overthrow of the Saudi monarchy.
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John Kerry's Saudi Sucker Punch
By Ashraf Fahim
[SAF Item of Interest - July 1, 2004]

"As the campaign rolls towards its climax in November, candidate Kerry continues to perfect an anti-Saudi routine that offers a cost-free shot to Bush's solar plexus. If he really intends to win the race, however, he
should consider pulling that particular punch. Whatever the merits of his arguments, he risks oversimplifying a complex strategic conundrum and scapegoating a loyal ally. A president Kerry could end up repeating Bush's Iraq blunder by painting the United States into a rhetorical corner in which its vital interests are at stake and in which it has no obvious strategy for success." [Complete Item - HTML]