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Saudis Fear the Muslim Brotherhood

(Foreign Policy) Steven Miller - Egypt's new president, Mohamed Morsi, is trying to court vital benefactors in the Persian Gulf, particularly Saudi Arabia. So far, Morsi has done all the right things: pledging not to export Egypt's revolution, describing the Gulf countries' security as a "red line" that should not be crossed, and making the Saudi kingdom his first foreign destination as president - and the Saudis have continued sending Egypt financial support. However, as a Sunni Islamist who came to power through democratic elections, Morsi challenges the autocratic system that Saudi Arabia's rulers have been fighting tooth and nail to uphold. The Saudis are ambivalent about Morsi's Islamist credentials, but they want to thwart Iranian aspirations in the Arab world. Their main goal now is to pull the new Egypt into their sphere of influence. Luckily for them, Morsi desperately needs Saudi money to repair Egypt's economy and has virtually no choice but to accept the terms that come with it. The writer is a research associate at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
2012-07-26 00:00:00
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