DON'T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU... :

U.S. fears downfall of Saudi regime. (Michael Petrou, July 31, 2002, National Post)

''The Saudis hold the key to whether the United States wins or loses the war on Islamic militants,'' said Steven Emerson, executive director of the Investigative Project, a Washington-based counterterrorism institute.

''Most of the monies for Islamic militants are generated from Saudi Arabia. They could shut them down if they wanted to, or open up the faucet even more.''

The House of Saud funds madrassas and Muslim schools across the world. Many of these preach an extreme and intolerant brand of Wahhabi Islam.

James Reilly, a history professor at the University of Toronto, notes that the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is founded on an 18th-century alliance between the Wahhabi religious movement and the House of Saud.

''The Wahhabi doctrine is the legitimizing ideology of the Saudi family. It has been an important factor in the legitimizing ideology of the Saudi state. And it has been a trademark of the extension of Saudi influence among Muslim communities and countries elsewhere,'' he said.

It would seem that the Sauds have far outlived their usefulness. Posted by Orrin Judd at July 31, 2002 7:48 AM