Editorial: Saudis are hardly best friends of U.S.

Friday, April 26, 2002 | 5:24 a.m.

The New York Times reported Thursday morning that Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia would tell President Bush later that day the Middle East nation could use the "oil weapon" against the United States if our government didn't back off its support for Israel's military policies. Ultimately Abdullah, in his meeting with Bush, didn't make good on the threat of withholding oil from the United States, but the Times' story shouldn't be minimized. The Saudi kingdom will do whatever it takes to stay in power, including placating Islamic militants in its country who hate the United States and Israel.

The Saudis' genuine feelings were expressed by a source close to the crown prince who told the Times in its Thursday edition: "It is a mistake to think that our people will not do what is necessary to survive, and if that means we move to the right of bin Laden, so be it; to the left of Qaddafi, so be it; or fly to Baghdad and embrace Saddam like a brother, so be it." And they are supposed to be our Arab friends in the Middle East?

Bush did tell reporters on Friday that "we will not allow Israel to be crushed," but that reassurance was lessened somewhat after he criticized Israel for having its troops re-enter a town in the West Bank. We hope that the president hasn't been spooked by the Saudi intimidation and that he maintains our longstanding alliance with the only democratic nation in that troubled part of the world, a country fighting its own war on terrorism.