# If US troops peacefully left Saudi Arabia, would Al Queda stop targeting the US? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 9, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-us-troops-peacefully-left-saudi-arabia-would-al-queda-stop-targeting-the-us/153901 "2003-02-09T16:40:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jonpluc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/fbc32d/32.png) [@jonpluc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jonpluc)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-us-troops-peacefully-left-saudi-arabia-would-al-queda-stop-targeting-the-us/153901/1 "2003-02-09T16:40:58Z")
The New York Times \ has just reported that Saudi Arabia has made a “non official” decision to have US troops leave S.A after the Iraq war. They have plans to institute democratic reforms and remove much power from the conservative clergy and elect a National Congress type body. Since US troops on Saudi soil was Osama Bin Assholes big complaint with the US will this mean there will be a terrorist “truce” or will he just come up with some other justification to continue his reign of terror? ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-us-troops-peacefully-left-saudi-arabia-would-al-queda-stop-targeting-the-us/153901/2 "2003-02-09T16:45:34Z")
A Colombian President came up with the same conclusion, ‘hey if we give FARC some space they’ll sure leave us alone’ Wrong, because this just gave FARC more time to attempt to destroy the Colombian government. Its all about power. So unfortunately they won’t stop until the US is destroyed. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-us-troops-peacefully-left-saudi-arabia-would-al-queda-stop-targeting-the-us/153901/3 "2003-02-09T16:48:04Z")
I doubt it’d dissuade Bin Ladin. He’d justify attacking the U.S. because we attacked him and Iraq. His goal is to destroy the U.S. and he doesn’t really need a justification to do so: like all fanatics, reason is not part of his plan. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-us-troops-peacefully-left-saudi-arabia-would-al-queda-stop-targeting-the-us/153901/4 "2003-02-09T21:20:14Z")
If all of our soldiers left S.A. tomorrow, OBL would just find another lame reason to attack us. (For example, he could pretend that he gives a rat’s ass about the plight of the Palestinians.)☹ ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-us-troops-peacefully-left-saudi-arabia-would-al-queda-stop-targeting-the-us/153901/5 "2003-02-09T21:32:39Z")
The mods might want to move this as there doesn’t seem to be a factual answer. Even if OBL hisself replied I wouldn’t take it at face value. Probably belongs in IMHO or GD. ---
**Author:** ![jonpluc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/fbc32d/32.png) [@jonpluc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jonpluc)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-us-troops-peacefully-left-saudi-arabia-would-al-queda-stop-targeting-the-us/153901/6 "2003-02-09T23:39:43Z")
Padeye, yea your probably right it should be in IMHO ,i thought about that after i aready posted it. My bad. ---
**Author:** ![Kombucha\_ShroomPerson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7c8e57/32.png) [@Kombucha\_ShroomPerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kombucha_ShroomPerson)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-us-troops-peacefully-left-saudi-arabia-would-al-queda-stop-targeting-the-us/153901/7 "2003-02-09T23:47:37Z")
If that did happen, bin Laden would probably have a whole list of things to dislike the USA for, like the Israel-Palestine conflict, US “imperialism”, cultural invasion, strong-arm foreign policy, and general disregard for the rights of other soverign nations. So, he might have less to complain about, and i guess some members of Al-Quaeda might decide that hey, maybe they don’t hate the USA so much now. But i wouldn’t count on it. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-us-troops-peacefully-left-saudi-arabia-would-al-queda-stop-targeting-the-us/153901/8 "2003-02-09T23:57:11Z")
Today there was an [article](http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1035777606974&call_pageid=968332188854&col=968350060724) in the Toronto Star about the same thing. By Patrick E Tyler of the New York Times, it begins > [@](#): > > Saudi Arabia’s leaders have made far-reaching decisions to prepare for an era of military disengagement from the United States, to enact what Saudi officials call the first significant democratic reforms at home, and to rein in the conservative clergy that has shared power in the kingdom. I don’t think this would affect ObL directly, but the lessening of support for Wahhabism might reduce his economic support. I’ve often thought that this was one of the greatests argument for the encouragement of fuel conservation and a much higher average fuel-use efficiency in the USA (and elsewhere): by reducing the amount of oil used, the US could eliminate its import of oil from the Arabian peninsula, and, hence, the reduce the indirect economic support for anti-US redicals. Whether that would work is another question. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-us-troops-peacefully-left-saudi-arabia-would-al-queda-stop-targeting-the-us/153901/9 "2003-02-10T00:25:59Z")
As long as the US supports Israel we are most certainly going to be their sworn enemy. And actually, Al-Queda is such an extreme group that as others have said as long as the US exists they will target us. A quote I’ve often heard is that they will not stop, “Until Islam rules the world.” ---
**Author:** ![jcgmoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@jcgmoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jcgmoi)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-us-troops-peacefully-left-saudi-arabia-would-al-queda-stop-targeting-the-us/153901/10 "2003-02-10T00:44:42Z")
Here’s the text of Bin-Laden’s 1998 [fatwa.](http://www.emergency.com/bladen98.htm) Number 1 in his list of “three facts that are known to everyone” is: > [@](#): > > … for over seven years the United States has been occupying the lands of Islam in the holiest of places, the Arabian Peninsula, plundering its riches, dictating to its rulers, humiliating its people, terrorizing its neighbors, and turning its bases in the Peninsula into a spearhead through which to fight the neighboring Muslim peoples. Naturally, he becomes quite exercised in his peroration, and at some length. My own opinion is the Saudis have the toughest balancing act around, trying to stay on top; if we weren’t there, they would want us there.