Joe HonickJoe Honick

You can’t blame the Saudis and their powerful PR firms for belatedly devising a plan to look as though they want to go after those nasty terrorists.

Think about it.

While the Saudis have been terrific customers for American things that go boom, when it comes to doing some actual combat, they’ve happily handed off that responsibility to the Yanks in at least two Desert battles and leave the risk of life and limb to our GIs.

The Arab League nations hardly seem disturbed over terrorist actions, and keep on building their skyscrapers and producing wonderful, sold out tennis tournaments I thoroughly enjoy watching during early morning gym workouts. In fact, several years ago, when then Secretary of State Clinton poked them to stop sending money to terrorist organizations, the retort from one leader was basically to the effect of: “If money gets to terrorists, it gets to terrorists ... what can we do?” Sadly, we were unable to exert advertised American power to do much about it.

Now comes the Saudis’ wonderfully advertised 34-nation deal to take on terrorists. Think about the boastfulness from our own perspective: why could we not challenge that new outfit, thus empowered and with not immodest populations, to put all that precious might quickly to work by openly and powerfully going after not only ISIS but Al Qaida and some of the others right in their own backyards?

Another obvious question is: what has taken the Saudis so long to arrive at this decision, as America and those we think of as allies already have expended billions and mounted major intelligence efforts to do the same?

Lost in all this brouhaha is the existence of a powerful outfit that seems purposely to avoid publicity while holding important meetings regularly in the Reagan building in Washington, D.C. This is NCUSAR, the National Council for U.S. Arab Relations. One of the missions of this smartly operated group is to create “Model Arab Leagues” on college campuses everywhere.

So comes now this sudden boast by Arab League countries to express combat bravado when the hard stuff has already been set in action by the United States, France and the UK.

This subject is rightly a matter for review and debate in the channels of PR outlets like this one, simply because, in the opinion of this writer, the whole deal must have come out of the creative minds of those outstanding and well paid firms who advise Saudis and friends.

The real test will come when — and if — this new Middle East “club” suggests to America and others to step aside and let the power and courage of the Saudis +33 take over on combat duties so they can really show the world how tough they are.

Not a bad idea, right?

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Joseph J. Honick is president of GMA International in Bainbridge Island, Wash.