The Saudi Touch

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Saudi Arabia has a valuable role to play in regional security

The regional chess game just got more interesting. India frustrated with Pakistan and on the backfoot in Afghanistan reaches out to Saudi Arabia. Which traditionally has close ties with Pakistan - but has noted its descent into chaos and its steadily improving ties with Riyadh's regional rival Tehran.

Saudi Arabia lays out the red carpet. Indian officials accompanying the PM note with satisfaction the splendid banquet and are now rubbing their hands with glee at a new Riyadh-Delhi connect. High time too. The PM's visit was postponed at least four times, a political-appointee ambassador didn't exactly help matters. Now, led by the PM himself, and with the appointment of a career diplomat, the business of diplomacy can expect to gain fresh momentum.

When he finally got there, the PM asked the King to use his influence with Pakistan to curb terror directed against India. Its the reiteration of a line taken a year and a half ago when, right after the Mumbai attacks, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister was asked to persuade Islamabad to act against the 26/11 perpetrators. The message is the same now as it was then -- co-operate with India in this universal fight against terror. The same message, by the way, has been given to Beijing and some 150 other countries since 26/11. So the fuss over Shashi Tharoor's "interlocution" comment is entirely unwarranted.

Now to what's really important and that is the timing of this message. Indian officials have detected a distinct unease in the Sunni country about traditional friend Pakistan's downward spiral. Large swathes of Pakistani and Afghan territory in control of jihadis looking to overthrow the regime in Riyadh is not a happy prospect. Indian officials were also struck by the reluctance of the House of Saud to facilitate the return of the Taliban to Afghanistan (Saudi Arabia and Pakistan were the two countries who recognised Mullah Omar and his government).

So the PM, as Tharoor had hoped, was given a sympathetic ear when he spoke about Terroristan and Jihadistan to India's west. A funds squeeze on groups like the Lashkar, intelligence on their leaders and foot soldiers, planners, recruiters and fundraisers and extradition of criminals/mafia/jihadis should help India secure itself. And an India virtually isolated in Afghanistan -- faced with the very real prospect of cutting down its footprint in that country -- can do with any help it can get at this point.