Saudi Arabia stews in policy hell: Spengler

Asia Times ^ | January 3, 2016 | David P. Goldman

[TigerLikesRooster]

Saudi Arabia stews in policy hell: Spengler

By David P. Goldman on January 3, 2016 in David P. Goldman, Spengler, China, Middle East, AT Top Writers

Last week's mass executions in Saudi Arabia suggest panic at the highest level of the monarchy. The action is without precedent, even by the grim standards of Saudi repression. In 1980 Riyadh killed 63 jihadists who had attacked the Grand Mosque of Mecca, but that was fresh after the event. Most of the 47 prisoners shot and beheaded on Jan. 2 had sat in Saudi jails for a decade. The decision to kill the prominent Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr, the most prominent spokesman for restive Saudi Shia Muslims in Eastern Province, betrays fear of subversion with Iranian sponsorship.

Why kill them all now? It is very hard to evaluate the scale of internal threats to the Saudi monarchy, but the broader context for its concern is clear: Saudi Arabia finds itself isolated, abandoned by its longstanding American ally, at odds with China, and pressured by Russia's sudden preeminence in the region. The Saudi-backed Army of Conquest in Syria seems to be crumbling under Russian attack. The Saudi intervention in Yemen against Iran-backed Houthi rebels has gone poorly. And its Turkish ally-of-convenience is consumed by a low-level civil war. Nothing has gone right for Riyadh.

Worst of all, the collapse of Saudi oil revenues threatens to exhaust the kingdom's $700 billion in financial reserves within five years, according to an October estimate by the International Monetary Fund (as I discussed here).

[Buckeye McFrog]

Just want to point out that Spengler was the same guy who wrote in 2008 that Barack Obama could not possibly be elected President.

[BenLurkin]

[proxy_user]

Well, what is a sixth-century monarchy to do? They don’t seem to have any options except to load up the camels and return to the desert.

[ZULU]

Couldn’t happen to a better bunch of damn rats.

[gr8eman]

Yeah, so he underestimated the stupidity of the American voter. Reminds me of Churchill’s argument about democracy. Anyone who cannot see the blatant promotion of Iran at the behest of ValJar needs glasses.

[PGR88]

The US has made a deal with the devil

We don’t really need their oil, but we do need OPEC and the Saudis to continue to use the US Dollar as their medium of exchange. In the meantime, the guardians of Mecca promote austere, political Islam in the West, for their own long-term advantage. America does their bidding to protect the Saudi kleptocracy and to continue our financial arrangement, but spilling American blood in places like Iraq, Somalia and Syria.

[Fhios]

+1 This is a wishful thinking article to support Iran.

[kabar]

If the Saudi royal family is ousted for power, it would be a disaster for us and the region. Saudi Arabia has the largest supply of exportable oil in the world. The global economy is dependent on the flow of that oil, which is a global commodity.

If radical Islamists take over the country and are recipients of the oil revenue, it will be a major security concern.

[kabar]

ousted from power.

[kabar]

Oil is a global, fungible commodity. Saudi production of over 8 million bbls a day is vital to the global economy. Whoever gets control of the revenue will have a powerful influence on the global economy. I have no doubt that Islamic fundamentalists will keep the oil flowing. The question is what will they do with the revenue.

[onedoug]

Ah, the fruit of islam....

[webheart]

The Saudi Monarchy is pretty radical already. They promote Wahabi sIslam all over the world, as an outlet for the repression of their own population, the 99% that aren’t members of the ruling family. Their existence does no good for anyone. If they lose their oil revenues, we will have to step up and get out own oil out of the ground. Any radical Islamists that take over there are not guaranteed to derive revenues when they have Iran and the Russia to contend with.

[GOPJ]

Saudi Arabia finds itself isolated, abandoned by its longstanding American ally, at odds with China, and pressured by Russia's sudden preeminence in the region. The Saudi-backed Army of Conquest in Syria seems to be crumbling under Russian attack. The Saudi intervention in Yemen against Iran-backed Houthi rebels has gone poorly. And its Turkish ally-of-convenience is consumed by a low-level civil war. Nothing has gone right for Riyadh.

Without oil money to pay off their goons the House of Saud is toast... The LAST thing any country in the ME wants is to be known as is 'weak'... and that's what the Sauds are... weak... weakened... gone.

How can they pay off American congressmen when we're watching them like hawks during an election year? Bush might lose, Hillary will lose... McCain's not running, Lindsey's out of the race... "Woe is me" say the Sauds...

[GOPJ]

The oil price collapse turns the competition between Saudi Arabia and Iran into a race to the bottom. But the monarchy’s panicked response to its many setbacks of the past several months raises a difficult question. In the past, the West did what it could to prop up the Saudi royal family as a pillar of stability in the region, despite the Saudis’ support for jihadi terrorism. Soon the West may not be able to keep the House of Saud in power whether it wants to or not.

I'm with you - the chickens are coming home to roost... I'm tired of the Sauds sending 'ideas from hell' into our prison system...

[Cicero]

It’s a mess. If the House of Saud collapses, it will cause epic confusion and fighting all over the region and the Islamic world. We need the House of Saud for stability. At the same time, a series of weak, idiotic, or bribed Presidents has permitted the House of Saud of move further and further into support of Islamic terrorism. At this point, I’m not sure if there is an answer.

Needless to say, Obama has no wish to do anything to help fix the situation.

[kabar]

The Saudi Monarchy is pretty radical already. They promote Wahabi sIslam all over the world, as an outlet for the repression of their own population, the 99% that aren’t members of the ruling family.

The Saudi Royal Family is not radical any more than the Shah of Iran was a radical. As someone who lived in the Kingdom for five years, whoever replaces the House of Saud will be far more radical and inimical to our interests.

If they lose their oil revenues, we will have to step up and get out own oil out of the ground. Any radical Islamists that take over there are not guaranteed to derive revenues when they have Iran and the Russia to contend with.

All oil is fungible. Saudi production will go into the global pot. The Saudis have the largest reserves of exportable oil.

[CrimsonTidegirl]

The Saudi royal family ARE radical Islamists who have been exporting Wahabbist terror for years. They are also behind the “common core” insanity in our school systems & the creeping Islamization of US schools.

Also, look at how the Saudis run their country. You can’t get any more radical than them. Just look at how women are treated in that hellhole. The Saudis also helped create ISIS, along with Turkey & Obama.

Personally, I wish that Iran & Saudi Arabia would destroy each other. The world would be a better place if those nations no longer existed.

[kabar]

You don't live in the real world. The Saudi Royal family has been the target of ISIS and AQ. OBL wanted to remove them and issued a fatwah to do so.

Saudi Arabia is the largest trading partner of the US in the Middle East. They make huge purchases of US weapons and arms including AWACs. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customer, with active and open cases valued at approximately $97 billion.

There are more Saudi students in the United States now than ever before, with approximately 80,000 Saudi students in the United States representing Saudi Arabia’s future political, business, and social leadership.

[CrimsonTidegirl]

Let’s get real, here. Saudi Arabia funded 9/11. The hijackers were Saudi. SA exports Wahabbism & is a terrorist state. With “allies” like that, who needs enemies?

Yes, I know there are many spoiled Saudi brats here attending school. That’s most unfortunate.

Sorry, I despise the SA royal family & their terrorist, radical Muslim state. The way they abuse & degrade women should tell you how radical they are.