CNN’s Zakaria: ‘The Saudis Played Donald Trump’

ZAKARIA But first here ░░░░░░░░ my take This week ░░░░░░░░ bombing in Manchester was ░░░░░░░░ gruesome reminder that the ░░░░░░░░ from radical Islamic terrorism ░░░░░░░░ ongoing And President Trump ░░░░░░░░ journey to the Middle ░░░░░░░░ illustrated yet again how ░░░░░░░░ country central to the ░░░░░░░░ of this terrorism Saudi ░░░░░░░░ has managed to evade ░░░░░░░░ deflect any responsibility for ░░░░░░░░ The facts are well ░░░░░░░░ For five decades Saudi ░░░░░░░░ has spread its narrow ░░░░░░░░ and intolerant version of ░░░░░░░░ originally practiced almost nowhere ░░░░░░░░ across the Muslim world ░░░░░░░░ bin Laden was Saudi ░░░░░░░░ were 15 of the ░░░░░░░░ terrorists of 9 11 ░░░░░░░░ we know through a ░░░░░░░░ e mail by former ░░░░░░░░ of state Hillary Clinton ░░░░░░░░ recent years the Saudi ░░░░░░░░ along with Qatar has ░░░░░░░░ providing clandestine financial and ░░░░░░░░ support to ISIL and ░░░░░░░░ radical Sunni groups in ░░░░░░░░ region Saudi nationals make ░░░░░░░░ the second largest group ░░░░░░░░ foreign fighters in the ░░░░░░░░ state and by some ░░░░░░░░ the largest in the ░░░░░░░░ group s Iraqi operations ░░░░░░░░ draws its beliefs from ░░░░░░░░ Saudi Arabia Wahhabi version ░░░░░░░░ Islam As the former ░░░░░░░░ of the kingdom s ░░░░░░░░ mosque said ISIS exploited ░░░░░░░░ own principles that can ░░░░░░░░ found in our books ░░░░░░░░ follow the same thought ░░░░░░░░ apply it in a ░░░░░░░░ way Saudi money is ░░░░░░░░ transforming European Islam Leaked ░░░░░░░░ intelligence reports show that ░░░░░░░░ closely connected with government ░░░░░░░░ of Saudi Arabia Qatar ░░░░░░░░ Kuwait are funding mosques ░░░░░░░░ and imams to disseminate ░░░░░░░░ fundamentalist intolerant version of ░░░░░░░░ throughout Germany In Kosovo ░░░░░░░░ New York Times Carlotta ░░░░░░░░ describes the process by ░░░░░░░░ a 500 year tradition ░░░░░░░░ moderate Islam is being ░░░░░░░░ From their bases the ░░░░░░░░ trained imams have propagated ░░░░░░░░ supremacy of Shariah law ░░░░░░░░ well as ideas of ░░░░░░░░ jihad she writes Saudi ░░░░░░░░ s government has begun ░░░░░░░░ slow many of its ░░░░░░░░ egregious practices It is ░░░░░░░░ being run de facto ░░░░░░░░ a young intelligent reformer ░░░░░░░░ Crown Prince Mohammad bin ░░░░░░░░ who appears to be ░░░░░░░░ pragmatic But so far ░░░░░░░░ Saudi reforms have mostly ░░░░░░░░ into better economic for ░░░░░░░░ kingdom not a break ░░░░░░░░ its powerful religious establishment ░░░░░░░░ s speech on Islam ░░░░░░░░ to zero in on ░░░░░░░░ problem when he said ░░░░░░░░ starts Trump No discussion ░░░░░░░░ stamping out this threat ░░░░░░░░ be complete without mentioning ░░░░░░░░ government that gives terrorists ░░░░░░░░ three safe harbor financial ░░░░░░░░ and the social standing ░░░░░░░░ for recruitment clip ends ░░░░░░░░ But Trump it turns ░░░░░░░░ was talking not about ░░░░░░░░ host Saudi Arabia but ░░░░░░░░ Iran Now to be ░░░░░░░░ Iran is a destabilizing ░░░░░░░░ in the Middle East ░░░░░░░░ supports some very bad ░░░░░░░░ But it is wildly ░░░░░░░░ to describe it as ░░░░░░░░ source of jihadi terror ░░░░░░░░ to an analysis of ░░░░░░░░ global terrorism database by ░░░░░░░░ Wenar of King s ░░░░░░░░ 94 percent of deaths ░░░░░░░░ Islamic terrorism since 2001 ░░░░░░░░ perpetrated by ISIS Al ░░░░░░░░ and other Sunni jihadists ░░░░░░░░ is fighting those groups ░░░░░░░░ fueling them Almost every ░░░░░░░░ attack in the West ░░░░░░░░ had some connection to ░░░░░░░░ Arabia Virtually none has ░░░░░░░░ directly linked to Iran ░░░░░░░░ has adopted the Saudi ░░░░░░░░ on terrorism which deflects ░░░░░░░░ blame from the kingdom ░░░░░░░░ redirects it towards Iran ░░░░░░░░ Saudis dazzled Trump s ░░░░░░░░ negotiators with attention arms ░░░░░░░░ and donations to a ░░░░░░░░ Bank Fund for Women ░░░░░░░░ Ivanka Trump is championing ░░░░░░░░ though Trump demanded in ░░░░░░░░ that the Clinton Foundation ░░░░░░░░ money from the Saudis ░░░░░░░░ quote Want women as ░░░░░░░░ and to kill gays ░░░░░░░░ short the Saudis played ░░░░░░░░ Trump America has now ░░░░░░░░ up for Saudi Arabia ░░░░░░░░ Middle East policy a ░░░░░░░░ series of battles against ░░░░░░░░ and their allies throughout ░░░░░░░░ region That will enmesh ░░░░░░░░ in a never ending ░░░░░░░░ struggle fuel instability and ░░░░░░░░ its ties with countries ░░░░░░░░ Iraq that want good ░░░░░░░░ with both sides But ░░░░░░░░ important it will do ░░░░░░░░ to address the direct ░░░░░░░░ ongoing threat to Americans ░░░░░░░░ terrorism I thought that ░░░░░░░░ s foreign policy was ░░░░░░░░ to put America first ░░░░░░░░ Saudi Arabia For more ░░░░░░░░ to CNN com fareed ░░░░░░░░ read my Washington Post ░░░░░░░░ this week.”