A wave of terrorist attacks with arrests and pursuits in their wake, in the Saudi kingdom, gives the impression that the struggle there against Islamic terrorism and its export to the entire world, has finally begun. It will be recalled that the leadership of Al Qaeda is originally Saudi, as is the fanatic Wahabi-Hanbali ideology, which is disseminated with the help of Saudi money.

But a deeper check shows that the Saudis are fooling the world and that the danger of this extremist state is growing.

The social order in Saudi Arabia has - for some time - been built on a pact between the pro-western monarchy - which is responsible for security, foreign affairs and oil - and the clerical establishment which rules in the country, in accordance with the Wahabi school, a fanatical school that interprets the Quran simply and sees modern life and the West as heresy.

In keeping with the clergy´s responsibility for internal affairs, especially education, a very religious, fanatical, conservative and obscurantist generation - that is hostile to the West and, occasionally, to the pro-western royal house - has sprung up in the kingdom.

This generation, which gave birth to Al Qaeda, is liable to lead the world to further troubles.

The West knew about this pact but ignored it as long as they were not harmed by it.

The situation changed after the September 2001 attacks, and even then the Saudis promised to take care of their "export" of terrorism.

But they did nothing. The clergy incites the population against the West and globalization. The younger generation is fluent with the Quran but not in English or computers.

The daring and violence of some of the clergy - to whom the religious establishment doesn´t seem radical enough - has grown over time. But the power of this establishment is still intact.

It´s doubtful as to whether there has been a major change even in direct Saudi involvement in the financing of terrorism. The Saudis have always "bought" terrorism, and as long as it is not perpetrated on their territory, they continue to do so today.

There is evidence that Saudi Arabia is still engaged in direct and indirect funding for Palestinian organizations, including Hamas.

But the Saudi royal family cannot "buy" Al-Qaeda´s terrorism, which is directed primarily against it, and this is a source of great embarrassment.

Even the Arab media operating under Saudi financing continues to incite the street against the US, Israel and the West.

Washington is therefore obligated - for the sake of its own interests and those of the rest of the world - to crack the Saudi nut, even to the level of diplomatic and economic sanctions, but it is difficult for them to do so in light of the fact that the Saudis control the world´s oil taps.

In the future it might even consider taking direct control of the Saudi oil fields.

As long as education remains controlled by radical clerics, as long as textbooks, curricula and the Sharia law are not removed altogether, the Saudi regime has not accomplished anything.

Their ambassador in Washington, Bandar ibn Sultan rolls his eyes, as though we are still talking about a friend of the West, whereas his country continues to be a navigator for terror and revisionism.

Washington must make it clear to the Saudi ruling family that the time has come for it to act, first and foremost with a change in its country´s social structure. If it will not do so, this may be the US´s and global stability´s most dangerous enemy, which must be acted against accordingly. (ynet.co.il 06/03/04)