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The nature of the relationship between Syria and Saudi Arabia during the oil era poses many questions for the commentators and analysts of inter-Arab politics during this period. Why have these two states pursued mutually conflicting aims in almost every major regional or international foreign policy issue? Why, over the course of the past thirty years, have they often propagated contrasting ideological banners while both acting as though some form of an alignment existed between them? Here Sonoko Sunayama explores the apparent paradox behind this longstanding relationship and argues that what ultimately makes Saudis and Syrians so indispensable to each other is the perception and the historical appeal of 'shared identities', be they Arabism or Islam.
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SYRIA AND SAUDI ARABIA
SYRIA AND SAUDI ARABIA Collaboration and Conflicts in the Oil Era
Sonoko Sunayama
Tauris Academic Studies LONDON࣬NEWYORK
Published in 2007 by Tauris Academic Studies, an imprint of I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd 6 Salem Road, London W2 4BU 175 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10010 www.ibtauris.com In the United States of America and Canada distributed by Palgrave Macmillan a division of St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10010 Copyright © 2007 Sonoko Sunayama The right of Sonoko Sunayama to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or any part thereof, may not be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Library of International Relations 31 ISBN: 978 1 84511 302 5 A full CIP record of this book is available from the British Library A full CIP record is available from the Library of Congress Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: available Printed and bound in India by Replika Press Pvt. Ltd From camera-ready copy edited and supplied by the author
CONTENTS
Preface and Acknowledgements Introduction
vii 1
1. Syrian-Saudi Relations before Camp David: Historical background (1946–1978)
14
2. Drawing the Fault Lines: The Camp David agreement and its aftermath (September 1978–October 1980)
49
3. Heading Opposing Camps: The primacy of Saudi Arabia (October 1980–September 1982)
89
4. The Beginning of the End of ‘the Saudi Era’ (October 1982–March 1984)
139
5. Syria’s Veto Power vs. Saudi Quest for Arab Consensus: With reference to the Gulf War (April 1984–August 1990)
175
Conclusion
215
Notes
224
Bibliography
241
Index
259
PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
‘How does Syria, far from a self-sufficient state by any standards, attract enough overseas economic and political aid to ensure its survival?’ It was over a decade ago that the question first entered my mind and gripped my thoughts. I was soon introduced to the rich literature on Syrian-Soviet relations, written by scholars of diverse nationalities, providing answers to one piece of the puzzle, but leaving more questions to be asked about how Syria used relations with the neighbouring states to its advantage. Years passed before I set out to study Syrian-Saudi relations—another set of bilateral relations which Damascus relentlessly attempted to tap for its benefit. Only now, after the further passage of time, have I arrived at an answer to the question, while making other discoveries along the way, all to be tested and challenged by scholars in the future. Many institutions and individuals have assisted me in this path, namely: