The first decade of this century was difficult on both the Arab and international levels, as well as on the Saudi and Syrian levels. The leaders of the two countries had to take difficult decisions, as they are located amidst or next to the storms. The world drowned in great turmoil. The Middle East drowned in turmoil, as well as coups and attempted coups. It was a tumultuous decade indeed. The world awoke on September 11, 2001 to the “New York and Washington invasions”. Such a brutal strike pushed the wounded empire to take out its huge military apparatus in an international disciplinary operation. The identity of the person behind the strike and the executors revealed that the security, stability, and relations of Saudi Arabia are targeted. Syria, too, was observing the launching of the “war on terror”. The second earthquake was not long to come. An American tank moved in the streets of Baghdad and uprooted Saddam Hussein's statue and regime. A difficult and mysterious page was opened in Iraq and the behavior of the Americans revealed a blatant ignorance of the structure of the country they claimed to have come to save, and of the feelings of the region's inhabitants, as well as their different stances. Iraq was transformed into a battlefield and an opportunity for interferences. There were indications of changes in the regional balance of forces and of the beginning of a sectarian strife. Riyadh was observing and following. Damascus was observing and acting, as fire was burning on its borders. The interpretations of the two capitals differed, but their concern was mutual. The third earthquake came from Beirut. Prime Minister Rafic Hariri was assassinated, accusations rose, and the Syrian forces pulled out [from Lebanon]. The assassination shook the foundations of Lebanese stability and put Saudi-Syrian relations to a test that would know unprecedented difficulty after the July 2006 war. The Iranian role was extended, and each of the two countries stood in an opposing camp. Those who had the opportunity to follow the events of this tumultuous decade from both Riyadh and Damascus stopped at an important issue. Even during the times that held the most anger and blame, the two capitals were keen on keeping away the final divorce option, despite the depth of the clash. Saudi Arabia did not support at any time the option of destabilizing Syria. And Syria did not support at any time the option of destabilizing Saud Arabia. Each party continued to acknowledge the importance of the other party's stability and role. The thorny files accumulated on the Riyadh-Damascus road: the Special Tribunal for Lebanon; the rising Iranian role from Baghdad to Beirut; the May 7 events in Lebanon; the control of Hamas on Gaza; the growth of sectarian sentiments. The concern linked to the acceleration of Arab collapses and the spread of divisions was present in the office of King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz. It was also present in the office of President Bashar Assad. Based on the urgent need to put an end to the collapse, the Saudi king launched the Arab reconciliation initiative, and the Syrian president took a similar decision to turn the page of the past. The mutual visits enabled an honest and deep dialogue on the burning files in the region. The return of the warmth to the personal relations contributed to the discussion of difficult and sensitive files. When Syria came out of the clash where it was in the middle of the decade, this facilitated the agreement on a mechanism to treat the conflicts and crises, and pushed Syria to present itself as a stabilization force, rather than an opposition force against stabilization. The above does not mean that Riyadh's interpretation of the region's events corresponds to that of Damascus, or vice versa. However, it implies the existence of a definite decision to bring the two interpretations together and to discuss all the files under the umbrella of the decision of stability. The decision of stability comes as a result of careful calculations of interests and an obvious awareness of responsibilities, and is not just an emotional decision that soars above the crisis roots. With the visit of King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz to Damascus yesterday, the relations went beyond the phase of handshaking and reconciliation to the phase of looking to build the nucleus of an Arab force of stability that would strive to fight the fires or prevent their occurrence. It is in this context that we can understand the appearance of the Saudi king and the Syrian President today from the presidential palace in Baabda. It is a message that the Lebanese must comprehend. There is no more place for risk-taking, and it is high time to search for stability – without any exaggerations or illusions.
