The New York Times newspaper published on Feb. 16, 2011, leaked some of the contents of the classified document titled "Presidential Study Directives 11 (PSD 11)" prepared by the US National Security Agency. The newspaper indicated that the document recommended sacrificing a number of political regimes in the Middle East that have become a threat to US interests. Clare Lopez, a former CIA operative, confirmed during a Congressional hearing that this document called for the use of America's capabilities to support the overthrow of allied governments and handing over power to the Muslim Brotherhood organization in Egypt and North Africa, as well as to enable Iran to control the Arabian Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula. During the past two months, the new American administration hastened to win over Iran by ignoring its Safavid expansion in the Middle East region and its support for terrorist groups, with acts such as revoking the classification of the Houthi group as a terrorist organization; stopping support for the Saudi-led Coalition's military operations in Yemen, and freezing arms deals with the Arab countries. This has encouraged Iran to persist in threatening the security of the region, and it is evident from an increase in the launch of ballistic missiles and drones targeting Saudi territories by its terrorist militias. The American administration was not satisfied with this alone. Rather, there have been malicious accusations from its part against the Arab leaderships, with hints about imposing economic sanctions. This will also lead to trigger new waves of terror of the so-called "creative chaos" towards the Arab world, emboldened by the statement of the US Secretary of State several days ago that they "will not change the regimes by force." Do not these indicate the US administration's return to the path of the Presidential Study Directives 11, which aims to divide the Middle East and makes it an arena for conflict between Sunnis and Shiites, despite the fact that such an experiment was destructive for Arab human lives as it was evident from Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Libya and Somalia and other countries? I fear that the answer to this question is yes, and I can cite many data to substantiate this. Of these, the most important are the following: Firstly, those, who had participated in the preparation of PSD 11 in their capacity as officials of the US National Security Administration in 2010, are currently at the helm of political decision making in the American administration. They include National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, his assistant Jonathan Viner, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines. Secondly, the negative perceptions about the Middle East by some American thinkers and diplomats, and these perceptions include that the Middle East is no longer important to the US interests, which Martin Indyk, former ambassador to Israel, emphasized in his article published in the Wall Street Journal on Jan. 17, 2020; Thirdly, the American values are not in harmony with Saudi values at all because Saudi Arabia is a religious, conservative monarchy while US is a liberal and secular republic, as stated by American diplomat David Rundell on March 5, 2021, in the US magazine Foreign Policy. Finally, the United States is well aware that China is competing with it strongly to assume the global leadership throne. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan did not hesitate to say on Jan. 29, 2021, that China is considered as America's first security challenge. Hence, some American politicians may rush to consider sacrificing their Arab allies and putting their hands in the hands of Iran as a new ally. To know China's interest in the Middle East, we have to take into account that China is always in dire need of energy supplies that come from Iran and the Gulf Arab states, as Asia, represented by China, India, South Korea and Japan, account for about 75 percent of the Middle East's oil exports. Similarly, the Middle East is a major axis on the path of the new Silk Route that serves Chinese ambitions. The Chinese-Pakistani and Chinese-Iranian relations are developing, and through them, China may be able to put a firm footing on the shores of the oil-rich Arabian Gulf. What is being hatched against our Arab and Islamic nations by stalkers in the Western countries and their agents is not new to them, and aims primarily to change concepts, values and culture in order to sow discord among our Arab and Islamic nations. In the past, our countries were able to confront and destroy them, thanks to the statesmanship and wisdom of our political, religious and intellectual leaders, and the awareness of our citizens representing all religious and ethnic sects. We will continue to exert our relentless endeavors in this respect during the next phase and this will be through the following planks: 1. Strengthening our internal fronts, by continuing efforts of our governments for construction and development, improving the standard of living of citizens, eradicating corruption and spreading justice based on our established values and on the desires and needs of our people rather than what others desire, apart from wariness to the intrigues implicit in the social, media and cultural programs of foreign diplomatic missions. 2. Cementing people's cohesion with the leadership and the refusal to be led by the sinister goals that are wrapped in slogans of freedom, development, justice and the Western deceptive democracy that seek to destroy the foundations of our homelands. 3. Strengthening Arab and Islamic unity and not give room for malicious and ignorant people to spread controversies and level malicious accusations against our Arab and Islamic countries and their leaders, or their regional organizations and leaders as our goal is building and development and not destruction. 4. Disseminating media awareness about the imminent dangers and intrigues that lie in wait for our peoples, and paying attention to cultural and intellectual activities, and consolidating belongingness and pride in our heritage and identity. 5. Not giving anyone the opportunity to sow discord, hatred and hostility among Sunni and Shiite Muslims or the different ethnic sects in our countries and around our Arab and Islamic world, in addition to striving to build bridges among the peoples of Arab and Islamic nations, based on commonalities that bind each and everyone. 6. Beefing up of communications and dialogues with the new administration and the political, intellectual and media elites in the United States. Many of them appreciate the importance of strategic partnership with our Arab world and realize that the Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and not the Safavid rulers of Iran, are the most capable and reliable partners so as to guarantee their interests and national security.
