Joe, I don't disagree too much with what you stated. I think our vantage points are probably where we'll differ the most.
I see Saudi Arabia as I saw Iran before Carter helped usher in the Ayatollah Khomanie in the 70s. No, the Shah of Iran was not pristine. He was an allie of ours, but he was somewhat problematic. Look what happened when we aided regime change in Iran. We have had close to 30 years of destabalized middle-east problems caused by that regime change.
Hussein would never have attacked the Shah. He would never have invaded Quwait. The perps of terror would not have been allowed to proliferate across the middle-east in areas around Iran like they did.
While I do see problems with Saudi-Arabia, I am highly concerned with what would replace it's current government, if we helped bring it down.
You can't tell me you'd have been very comfortable with John Kerry at the help when regime change came in Saudi Arabia.
I too would fear what would take power if the house of saud fell.
But for personal reasons I'd like to see the corrupt slimes there hurt.