Analysis Of US-Saudi Relation In Post-Cold War Era

After the Cold War, with the bipolar international system breaking down, the world’spolitical and economic situation had changed dramatically. In strategic pivot Middle East,the relationship between United States and Saudi Arabia fluctuated in order to coodinatewith the adjustment of national interests. Although they still remain the close cooperationfor interests in traditional beneficial areas, new contradictions have emerged and lead tobilateral relations in the ups and downs.After the Second World War, US and Saudi Arabia Kingdom were driven bypractical interests, leaving the ideological and religious differences, from which they setup a "energy-safety" cooperation mode stimulates the bilateral relation in military, energyand economy fields. In the early1990s, US-Saudi relations reached a high level in theGulf War, but then followed by lots of contradictions. With the outbreak of "911" as awatershed event, this sudden terror strong impact bilateral relations. The United Statestook this as an incentive and launched the Afghanistan war, and Iraq war, plans toimplement democratic reform in the Middle East, which touched Saudi Arabia’s sensitivenerve. Saudi Arabia, with its influence on religion, energy and economic interests inmaintaining mutual basis, expressed dissatisfaction on U.S. policy, and adjusted foreignpolicy gradually reduce the rely on U.S.Factors affecting the development Us-Saudi relationship are not complicated. It isbelieved that the main driving force comes from the common interests from both sides.After the Iraq War, Iran had become the superpower in the Middle East. Furthermore,Iran nuclear issue brought to the Saudi security threats, which challenged theinternational order dominated by the United States. So both of US and Saudi face stratgicpressure from Iran, hence they got the same rival to compete with. Secondly, the Gulfregion is a place of great strategic importance, which is also the world’s most stableenergy producing area. However, Saudi military force is so weak compared with its sizethat U.S. Troops are stationing in Saudi Arabia to protect it. Joint control of the region isachieved by these two countries. Finally, petrodollar is in extremely favorable position ininternational trade and financial order. The United States and Saudi Arabia are thebeneficiaries of this system, both are willing to continue to work together to maintain. The development of resistance to US-Saudi relationship is summed up from demandsthat cannot be met from each party. First, the United States changed its own energypolicy to reduce dependence on Saudi energy. Second, the United States favoring Israelon the unresolved Israeli-Palestinian issue, while Saudi supports for Palestine. Third, theU.S. fight against terrorism during the breeding ground for terror Islamic extremistideology doctrine, and happens to be the basis of the Saudi royal family Wahhabismtheocratic rule the country. Fourth, the U.S. keeps exporting democracy in the MiddleEast, promoting human rights, which poses a threat to Saudi Arabia’s political stability.Above all, with the influence of the international and regional environment, theevolution of US-Saudi relation is the result of the national interests of both sides underthe development of the history. In the short term, the common interests of the two sideswill not change, so strategic cooperation on energy and security may still work, but froma long-term trend, US-Saudi relations may be lopsided undoubtfully.