tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post2411831935259541189..comments2024-03-29T17:12:19.648+13:00Comments on Bowalley Road: It Was Twenty Years Ago: "Infinite Justice".Chris Trotterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09081613281183460899noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-53468649092746698462021-09-30T13:49:51.809+13:002021-09-30T13:49:51.809+13:00Hi Chris,
William Shakespear's diplomacy was n...Hi Chris,<br />William Shakespear's diplomacy was not intended to keep the Saudis on the sidelines. On the contrary he encouraged them to fight the Rasheeds who were receiving Turkish support. As Shakespear wrote in his despatch to London a defeat for the Rasheed would be a defeat for the Turks and Shakespear was already imagining himself riding at the head of the Saudi army on a grand campaign of Arabian conquest. Unfortunately at the battle of Jarrab in January 1915 the Saudis were defeated by the Rasheed and Shakespear was killed. And that ended any thoughts of the Saudis participating in a war against the Turks. They had enough on their hands protecting themselves from the Rasheed.<br />As to the Saudis being richly rewarded by the British I am at a loss to understand where you sourced that information from. The Hashemites were the Arabian tribe rewarded by the British [and rightly so as they with Lawrence played a major part in defeating the Turks] by being given the Kingdom of Iraq and the Kingdom of Jordan [where their descendants still reign].They also were allowed to retain all their land in southern Arabia including the holy cities of Medina and Mecca. They lost these to the Saudis in wars during the 1920s much to the dismay of the British who were inclined to send troops to assist the Hashemites. However wiser counsels prevailed.<br />Many people when commenting on these wars have little or no knowledge of the different Arab tribes and dynasties which is essential if one is to be able to correctly interpret the history of this region.Simon Cohennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-34055123913504815452021-09-30T12:17:05.014+13:002021-09-30T12:17:05.014+13:00To: Simon Cohen.
I stand corrected, Simon. The Br...To: Simon Cohen.<br /><br />I stand corrected, Simon. The British envoy to Ibn Saud was not T.E. Lawrence but a British officer with the unlikely name of William Shakespear.<br /><br />The consequence of Shakespear's diplomacy was, as you say, that the Saudis remained on the sidelines during the Arab revolt. They were, of course, handsomely rewarded by the British for doing so. <br /><br />I would observe, however, that keeping one's forces off the battlefield at the behest of one of the belligerents constitutes a form of "involvement". As does allowing the British to make your kingdom a protectorate.<br /><br />Still, you are right, a little more fact-checking on my part would have made for a better column.Chris Trotterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09081613281183460899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-83033641042933354452021-09-30T10:03:31.082+13:002021-09-30T10:03:31.082+13:00":Founded in the 18th Century by the Arabian ...":Founded in the 18th Century by the Arabian cleric Ibn Abdul Wahhab, the sect’s teachings were taken up by the founder of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia – Ibn Saud – who cleverly exploited its austere puritanism in his World War I struggle against what he regarded (encouraged by T.E. Lawrence – “Lawrence of Arabia”) as the decadence of his Turkish overlords.;<br />This is completely untrue. Lawrence never met Ibn Saud and indeed the Arab revolt against the Turks was conducted by the Hashemite tribe the sworn enemy of Ibn Saud. There was no active Sa'udi involvement in the First World War nor was there any revolt against the Turks by the Sa'udi.<br />When one reads an article which has basic errors of this nature it destroys the credibility of the whole article.Simon Cohennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-13595868787363951812021-09-29T13:44:51.864+13:002021-09-29T13:44:51.864+13:00The most eloquent comment from the time of the Wor...The most eloquent comment from the time of the World Trade Centre tragedy was " It's like New York had its front two teeth knocked out".<br /><br />I could not put it better.Shane McDowallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09354384369518580573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-28980995158944252012021-09-29T13:25:15.933+13:002021-09-29T13:25:15.933+13:00Corruption, sleaze and lies know no bounds when it...Corruption, sleaze and lies know no bounds when it comes to money and power. Parasites the lot of them. And we now have fake outrage from the US over the brutish Taliban and their regime - the cutting off of limbs, arbitrary executions, oppression of women and anyone who opposes them, etc - oh wait haven't the Saudi's been doing that forever? Well yes, but the difference being that their huge mega-big plane and arms orders from the west (including the US, UK, Spain, France, etc) are to "fight terrorists", including the civilians of Yemen, journalists, and not to mention their own people and dissents.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com