Does Saudi Arabia Still Matter?

America's Vital Stakes in Saudi Arabia

Shibley Telhami and Fiona Hill

The U.S.-Saudi relationship has come under considerable scrutiny recently, with some analysts questioning its centrality in U.S. foreign policy. The discovery that many of the September 11 attackers were Saudis is partly responsible, as inquiries into the society and political system that produced these terrorists have yielded grim results. In these pages, for example, Eric Rouleau has noted that "a major crisis is now brewing in Saudi Arabia" and warned that public anger there at both the monarchy and the United States "poses intense risks for both