Article d’il y a un mois et demi du Wall Street Journal : « Arabs ask US to lead on Syria », qui éclaire les enjeux géopolitiques des évènements récents : ▻http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324244304578473212174423122.html?mod=rss_middle_east_new
ou sans le paywall, ici :
▻http://www.energia.gr/article_en.asp?art_id=27451
L’article évoque le fait que l’Arabie saoudite, les EAU et la Jordanie faisaient pression à l’époque sur Obama pour qu’il remette de l’ordre au Moyen-Orient sur le dossier syrien et qu’il fasse cesser le soutien du Qatar aux frères musulmans et à certains groupes syriens jihadistes, au motif qu’il nuirait à l’unité de l’opposition armée syrienne et contribuerait à prolonger le règne d’Assad :
The U.S. ’s closest Arab allies are pressing President Barack Obama to take the lead in bridging the Middle East ’s divisions over Syria , traveling to Washington to drive home their fears some of the region’s leaders are strengthening radicals and prolonging President Bashar al-Assad’s rule.
The coordinated message was delivered to Mr. Obama during separate White House meetings in recent weeks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, the United Arab Emirates’ Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan and Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal, according to senior U.S. and Arab officials familiar with the discussions.
The three royals’ message to Mr. Obama was a not-so-subtle slap at Qatar and Turkey —both of which, officials in these Arab countries believe, are funneling funds and possibly weapons to groups promoting political Islam and in particular to those aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood.
They are also concerned that aid from Qatar has bolstered the Al-Nusra Front, a powerful Syrian militia fighting Mr. Assad’s forces, which the U.S. has designated as a terrorist organization.
Il s’agissait non seulement pour les Saoudiens et ses alliés de demander aux USA de reprendre un rôle plus actif afin que les USA leurs délèguent le leadership sur les groupes de rebelles syriens au détriment du coupe qataro-turc, mais aussi et plus généralement au Moyen-Orient comme le laisse entendre la réaction de l’émir du Qatar de l’époque :
Qatar and Turkey have sought to use the Mideast ’s transition to expand their diplomatic, economic and religious influence, say U.S. and Arab officials. The two countries have been the most aggressive in seeking to overthrow Mr. Assad. Qatar has been the primary financial supporter of the new governments in Cairo and Tunis , providing billions of dollars in aid to President Mohammed Morsi’s government over the past 18 months, according to Qatari officials.
“In my opinion, some of our region, they did not like what happened...and they don’t like it when the Muslim Brotherhood came,” Sheikh Hamad, Qatar ’s prime minister, said in Washington last month. “But we respect the [other’s] will and the people’s will in the other nations.”