Resistance may harden against societal change. Saturday’s bombing at a residential compound in Riyadh underlined a dilemma for the Saudi monarchy and its U.S. backers: Gradual steps to open the society may only encourage religious extremists who want to depose a government that controls a quarter of the world’s oil resources. Saudi reformers hope that the bombing, which killed at least 17 people, will push the regime to accelerate change. So far, changes include the promise of the country’s first elections, at the municipal level, within a year. But in the short term, the bombing may lead to even more repression as the government struggles to control extremists who believe the government is too cozy with the West. The Bush administration, which has called for more democracy in the Middle East, appears to have little choice but to rally behind an autocratic regime that holds the key to U.S. energy security. Full Story
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