Bedouins With A-Bombs – Antiwar.com

Washington has opened talks with Saudi Arabia to consider nuclear capability for the desert kingdom.

The Americans and Saudis insist they are only discussing peaceful nuclear weapons. Don’t believe it. The Saudis argue they must have nuclear capability to generate energy when their oil begins to wear out.  Every oil-producing nation can rightly make the same argument.  When the oil runs out, no more gold beds, French furniture, show girls and disposable Rolls-Royces.

The only really admirable Saudi king in recent memory, Faisal bin Saud, reportedly said, ‘we are riding in expensive cars, but I fear one day soon we will end up riding camels again when our oil runs out’.  This noble far-seeing ruler was assassinated in 1976 by a nephew who was said to be demented. Some Saudis suspected Faisal was killed by a western power.

Saudi has only 38 million tribal people scattered over a vast, arid nation.  Libya’s late chief, Muammar Gaddafi told me ‘The Saudis are very rich people who live behind high walls. They are terrified of their neighbors.’  Gaddafi was himself murdered by the French and Americans.

Traditionally, the Saudis have turned to militarily powerful Pakistan for protection. The late Pakistani President, Zia ul Haq, commanded an important contingent of Pakistani troops protecting the Saudi royal family. Zia told me he had a low opinion of Saudi military capabilities. In fact, the Saudis have never developed a significant military force to protect their vast oil wealth for fear of coup d’etat from the army, a common event across the Arab world and Africa.

The US stations large numbers of mercenaries and American troops across the Mideast, estimated at 50,000, as well as large contingents of CIA agents and other security forces to protect the Egyptian regime.

Saudi and the US also use the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for ‘kinetic’ i.e. shooting operations and are deeply involved in wars in Sudan, Somalia and Central African Republic.  But wealthy Saudi Arabia is the real prize.

Now, the Trump administration is trying to arm-twist the Saudis into abandoning their half-hearted support of the Palestinians and get into bed with Israel, using the lure of a supposedly civilian nuclear program. How well this would work out for the Saudis is uncertain.  The Saudis are so behind the times they must import bakers from Egypt or India and Pakistan.  There is no cadre of nuclear technicians in Arabia. Some could be hired, as Egypt tried to do in the 1960’s. Israel killed many of them. Now, Israel might allow it again but with the greatest caution.  Israel’s policy is to assassinate nuclear specialists who come to assist the Arab nations. Saudis would think three times before using a nuclear device against Israel because it has at least 100 nuclear weapons poised to strike – over the entire Arab world – not to mention submarine-launched nuclear missiles that are invulnerable to a surprise first strike.

The Saudi royal family relies on the United States for protection. It has consistently betrayed the Palestinians.  But Riyadh must at least show some support for Palestine to keep up the pretense of helping the Arab cause. In reality, the Saudis fear Palestinians as dangerous revolutionaries drawn to socialist causes or states. Interestingly, the biggest expulsion of Palestinians since Israel’s creation in 1948 was by Kuwait. Saddam Hussein promised to create a Palestinian state out of the British-created state of Kuwait. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat welcomed the offer. Kuwaitis were outraged and expelled their many Palestinians residents.

Now, the Saudis want to be the big shots of the Mideast. America can’t resist fawning Arab states.  Will the volatile Saudi Bedouins be trusted with nuclear weapons?

Copyright Eric S. Margolis 2026

Eric S. Margolis is an award-winning, internationally syndicated columnist. His articles have appeared in the New York Times, the International Herald Tribune the Los Angeles Times, Times of London, the Gulf Times, the Khaleej Times, Nation (Pakistan), Hurriyet (Turkey), Sun Times (Malaysia), and other news sites in Asia.  He writes at EricMargolis.com.