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I'm admittedly a bit of a partisan when it comes to siding with Iran over Saudi Arabia, but I was really impressed to see that PBS Frontline's recent documentary "Bitter Rivals" gave a relatively objective recounting of the United States' role in the rivalry and in turning two moderate countries into far more conservative societies and, more importantly, facilitating the spread of Wahhabi extremism throughout the Middle East: the same Sunni extremism that would birth Al Qaeda and, more directly, ISIS.
I was especially impressed by how many ex-CIA and ex-US government figures were interviewed on the horrible decisions made by the government. The documentary did a great job of tying the concurrent events of the two (three) nations together. For me, it was extremely helpful in taking a less partisan view of the events and, more or less, giving some slack to the Sauds.
In a crude play-by-play of one of the best PBS documentaries I've seen in a very long time:
>1950 - Iran is a moderate secular government; Saudi Arabia is a theocratic government which is headed by the world's most conservative major Islamic sect, but that is still relatively secular and is modeled after the commercialist society of the United States, with which it has an economic relationship.
>>Disillusioned with the expropriation of its resources for British profit, the Iranians elect secular social democrat Mohammad Mossadegh. Mossadegh seeks to nationalize Iranian oil, which at that time is British-owned. Mossadegh is very popular with secularists and moderate Muslims, but is disliked by the conservative religious factions in Iran. The United States and Britain fund a coup of Mossadegh, partly conspiring with Shia fundamentalists, and reinstates the Shah. The Shah violently oppresses the Iranian people with his security forces, which are armed and trained by the US.
>>>The Shah is later overthrown by the Ayatollah Khomeini, with the support of Islamists and secular leftists. The Islamic Revolution is carried out and Iran becomes a theocratic country. Iran's Revolution is supported by Shia and Sunnis across the region, including Saudi Arabia. Iran seeks, first and foremost, to eradicate US influence from the region.
>>>>The Iranian Shia government, angered by the Saudi's financial relationship and cooperation with the United States and Brits in the previous events, seeks to undermine the House of Saud by painting them as corrupted Western puppets, insincere in their apparent espousal of Sunni doctrine.
>>>>>The Saudis respond by returning to an 19th century style-ultra-conservative Wahhabi ideology, rallying their citizens against Shi'ism and instituting ultra-conservative Sharia law and, armed by the United States, violently suppressing their Shia minority.
>>>>>>Wanting to hedge the region against nationalization and against Iranian influence, the United States and Saudi Arabia spend billions of dollars constructing Wahhabi mosques and spreading Wahhabi religion throughout the Middle East, most notably in Afghanistan, Iraq, and most notably Pakistan.
>>>>>>>In order to gain influence in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United States train and arm Afghani resistance fighters to the Soviet invasion in the 1980s. One of the Saudi freedom fighters sent to Afghanistan is one Osama bin Laden. After the Soviets are rebuffed, local government control is handed over the extremist Wahhabi sects that were most aligned with the resistance.
>>>>>>>The United States and Saudi Arabia side with Saddam Hussein in his invasion of Iran. After the Iranian forces repel the Iraqis and advance into Iraqi territory, Saddam begins widespread use of chemical weapons and regular torture and imprisonment of citizens of the Shia majority.
>>>>>>>>9/11 happens. The majority of the 9/11 perpetrators are Saudi nationals. In the aftermath, the US turns on Saddam Hussein, against the passionate wishes of the Saudi regime.
>>>>>>>>>>The Sunni extremists that were earlier empowered throughout the region begin to jockey for position, but are foreclosed by an uprising of a formerly suppressed Shia majority population. Iran quickly gains diplomatic control. The United States makes a grave tactical error by promulgating political restrictions in post-invasion Iraq that banned Ba'athists, mostly Sunnis, from holding office.
>>>>>>>>>>>Sunni extremists respond with a series of terror attacks, and the Sunni extremists trained across Afghanistan, Pakistan, Jordan, and the entire Middle East to be militant sectarians vow a sectarian war.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/bitter-rivals-iran-and-saudi-arabia/
I was especially impressed by how many ex-CIA and ex-US government figures were interviewed on the horrible decisions made by the government. The documentary did a great job of tying the concurrent events of the two (three) nations together. For me, it was extremely helpful in taking a less partisan view of the events and, more or less, giving some slack to the Sauds.
In a crude play-by-play of one of the best PBS documentaries I've seen in a very long time:
>1950 - Iran is a moderate secular government; Saudi Arabia is a theocratic government which is headed by the world's most conservative major Islamic sect, but that is still relatively secular and is modeled after the commercialist society of the United States, with which it has an economic relationship.
>>Disillusioned with the expropriation of its resources for British profit, the Iranians elect secular social democrat Mohammad Mossadegh. Mossadegh seeks to nationalize Iranian oil, which at that time is British-owned. Mossadegh is very popular with secularists and moderate Muslims, but is disliked by the conservative religious factions in Iran. The United States and Britain fund a coup of Mossadegh, partly conspiring with Shia fundamentalists, and reinstates the Shah. The Shah violently oppresses the Iranian people with his security forces, which are armed and trained by the US.
>>>The Shah is later overthrown by the Ayatollah Khomeini, with the support of Islamists and secular leftists. The Islamic Revolution is carried out and Iran becomes a theocratic country. Iran's Revolution is supported by Shia and Sunnis across the region, including Saudi Arabia. Iran seeks, first and foremost, to eradicate US influence from the region.
>>>>The Iranian Shia government, angered by the Saudi's financial relationship and cooperation with the United States and Brits in the previous events, seeks to undermine the House of Saud by painting them as corrupted Western puppets, insincere in their apparent espousal of Sunni doctrine.
>>>>>The Saudis respond by returning to an 19th century style-ultra-conservative Wahhabi ideology, rallying their citizens against Shi'ism and instituting ultra-conservative Sharia law and, armed by the United States, violently suppressing their Shia minority.
>>>>>>Wanting to hedge the region against nationalization and against Iranian influence, the United States and Saudi Arabia spend billions of dollars constructing Wahhabi mosques and spreading Wahhabi religion throughout the Middle East, most notably in Afghanistan, Iraq, and most notably Pakistan.
>>>>>>>In order to gain influence in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United States train and arm Afghani resistance fighters to the Soviet invasion in the 1980s. One of the Saudi freedom fighters sent to Afghanistan is one Osama bin Laden. After the Soviets are rebuffed, local government control is handed over the extremist Wahhabi sects that were most aligned with the resistance.
>>>>>>>The United States and Saudi Arabia side with Saddam Hussein in his invasion of Iran. After the Iranian forces repel the Iraqis and advance into Iraqi territory, Saddam begins widespread use of chemical weapons and regular torture and imprisonment of citizens of the Shia majority.
>>>>>>>>9/11 happens. The majority of the 9/11 perpetrators are Saudi nationals. In the aftermath, the US turns on Saddam Hussein, against the passionate wishes of the Saudi regime.
>>>>>>>>>>The Sunni extremists that were earlier empowered throughout the region begin to jockey for position, but are foreclosed by an uprising of a formerly suppressed Shia majority population. Iran quickly gains diplomatic control. The United States makes a grave tactical error by promulgating political restrictions in post-invasion Iraq that banned Ba'athists, mostly Sunnis, from holding office.
>>>>>>>>>>>Sunni extremists respond with a series of terror attacks, and the Sunni extremists trained across Afghanistan, Pakistan, Jordan, and the entire Middle East to be militant sectarians vow a sectarian war.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/bitter-rivals-iran-and-saudi-arabia/