The relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia with regards to oil production and refinement is explored in the chapter 'Oil' and the PBS documentary House of Saud. In these works, the delicate and complex issue of oil-centric military action taken by the United States to protect Saudi Arabia, as well as the ethics of allying with nations for purely economic purposes, is examined. Both works convey the complex relationship between the US and Saudi Arabia; while Wawro frames the arrangement as America's lust for power in the Middle East, House of Saud questions the arrangement of America to defend it against a potentially threatening and hostile power.
In Wawro's chapter "Oil," Saudi Arabia is shown to be a very small, insular, and deeply entrenched society before the capitalization by the British of Saudi Arabia's oil reserves. "Before the oil boom, the kingdom was a poor country that produced nothing but dates, wheat, barley, hides, camels, horses, donkeys and sheep" (Wawro 60). In the 1920s, the British handed production over to the Americans, allowing them to substantially benefit from the oil they would find there. Wawro points out the economic incentives that existed at that point for Saudis at that time, and that King Ibn Saud wanted in on the advancements that other nations were benefiting from - this created an added conflict between the already-warring United States and Soviet Union, who both attempted to make a deal with the suddenly-wealthy country (61). To that end, America made a quick deal in 1943 with the American Lend-Lease aid, in order to guarantee their military and economic superiority.
Wawro's chapter focuses greatly on the American perspective toward the Saudi oil deal, as American leaders were shown to have great plans for expanding America's influence in the military and world economy. "What Roosevelt, Truman, Byrnes and Ickes had in mind was nothing less than a basic restructuring of global oil supply and consumption" (Wawro 68). Because of the dwindling oil supplies and reserves in America, this Saudi oil was the answer to their prayers (and the Cold War). Soon after America took the reins from Britain with the Saudis, American companies flooded to Saudi Arabia to take advantage of this business, the Economist calling Dhahran a 'fantastic, artificial American oil town' (74). This is evidence of the further Americanization and invasion of Western values upon a country that may not have wanted it.
Wawro does touch on the cultural impact of America on Saudi Arabia, and the tensions that resulted. Many Arabs expressed their displeasure at the invasion of Westerners and Jews into their country; Ibn Saud apparently adored the wealth that came from these new deals, but the social and political changes that were occurring, as well as the cultural tensions, were perhaps too much to deal with (76). Many in Saudi Arabia felt that the increasing amenities of the West were ruining Saudi culture, though these complaints went unanswered by the Americans: "Deegradation, at the hands of the rich, opportunistic West, kicked into high gear" (76). Wawro seems to place the blame very closely upon America's lust for oil, painting the Arab complaints as the cries of a victimized people whose culture has been infringed upon.
In The House of Saud, the US/Saudi relationship is shown to be fraught with contradictions; while the US fights to defend Saudi Arabia in exchange for its oil, Saudi elements rebel against America and fund or engage in terrorist activities against it. This throws into question the legitimacy or efficacy of the alliance: should the United States be involved with a nation populated by many who wish to see America destroyed? Unlike Wawro's chapter, the Arab countries are placed in a somewhat harsher light, as there is a much greater focus on terrorist retaliations to the West as a result, showing Saudis as people fighting back against the still-guilty West.
The history of the Saudi/US arrangement is linked all the way back to the establishment of the state of Israel; despite the establishment of oil rights, and the need for the United States' money and protection from foreign powers, the Saudis still resent the establishment of Israel, and this is the source of many of the anti-American sentiments found in Saudi citizens (0:01). Of particular interest to the documentary is the increasing Westernization of Arab leaders; Saud is shown to be a secret lover of Western amenities, including alcohol, and grew further apart from his people (0:30). The extravagance and flightiness of Saud as compared to the more conservative, faithful Arab leaders (including Prince Faisal) is shown to be a problem, which then led to the fatwah and abdication of the throne to Faisal (0:37). To that end, the documentary infers that the people themselves do not want this arrangement - or that, at the very least, there was a significant rift between those who wanted it and those who did not.
The source of the religious extremism and anti-American sentiment noted in the documentary is traced back directly to Saudi Arabia's willingness to take in extremist groups that other countries like Syria ousted; this also kicked off a more severe and extreme campaign against Israel. Down the line, this has led to jihads being declared against America, and increased anti-American sentiment (leading to the 9/11 attackers being mostly Saudi) (0:02). The anti-American efforts of the Middle East are perpetrated to a great extent by Saudis, placing the existing arrangement into question. The documentary places the blame chiefly on the complex and contentious relationship created between America and Saudi Arabia as a result of the oil treaty, "straining its 60-year-old oil for security deal with America" (1:49). The treaty is presented, therein, as a toxic relationship that is maintained for purely economic reasons, pitting two ideologically opposed countries against each other.
In conclusion, Wawro's chapter and House of Saud present slightly different perspectives on the arrangement between the US and Saudi Arabia for oil. With Wawro, the fight for oil is shown to be the result of the efforts of an increasingly greedy West, and an envious Saudi Arabia that wants the amenities its neighbors enjoy. Once that occurs, however, many Saudis object to the cultural changes that take place, seeing it as an affront to their traditional Muslim ways. House of Saud paints roughly the same narrative, but makes the Saudis a little more culpable for their actions. The argument is framed in the increasing danger of Saudi-born terrorists in events like 9/11 and suicide bombings overseas; the documentary states that we should not have the arrangement - not because it takes advantage of them, but because they hate us for doing it.
Works Cited
House of Saud. PBS Frontline. Documentary. 2005.
Wawro, Geoffrey. Quicksand: America's Pursuit of Power in the Middle East. Penguin, 2010. Print.
