[JohnBrowdie]

They are offering to bribe them with even more artificially inflated oil prices -— for us, I can only presume.

[lafroste]

Boy things are really complicated over there. TG we’ve got such a strong and wond....

Sorry I can’t say it. Even a sarcasm tag would not make it right.

[Navy Patriot]

Russia could drive a pretty hard bargain.

Or they could tell Assad and he would probably launch all those missiles intended for Israel at Saudi Arabia.

Russia is definitely interested in controlling more of the oil market, and I have suspected for quite a while they would like SA to be a legitimate target for a big strike on their oilfields.

Logically, the Russians should blow 'em up, as they are completely untrustworthy any other way but dead.

[dfwgator]

How do you say “Nuts!” in Russian?

[CMB_polarization]

“I can give you a guarantee to protect the Winter Olympics next year. The Chechen groups that threaten the security of the games are controlled by us,” he [Prince Bandar] allegedly said.

[Hoosier-Daddy]

Take it, then take out the royal family.

Russia has a little experience with that.

[ltc8k6]

They know Obama is weak, and cannot handle the situation.

[Thunder90]

Russia and China will ask for some serious concessions, not just from the Saudis, but from the US and NATO.

Russia will demand removal of US Forces from Europe and a massive disarmament of US nuclear weapons and Missile Defense. China will demand that the US stop arming Taiwan and reign in the Japanese Defense Forces.

[The Duke]

Saudis: "Say, that's a nice Winter Olympics ya got planned there! It would be a R-E-A-L shame if anything happened to it!"

[PGR88]

The Saudis could be the greatest national security threat the USA faces

[jimjohn]

So sad we have to get virtually ALL of our somewhat trustworthy news from foreign sources. Just another indicator...

[maggief]

Ping.

[SoFloFreeper]

Heh. Like the Russians couldn’t take the Saudis’ oil if they really wanted to do so.....

[silverleaf]

It’s pretty hard for the Saudis replace a warm water port on the Med for Russian war ships

Does Putin want to show the world an example of selling out an ally (unsavory as he might be) for oil? Makes him no better than the USA

Besides the Russians have other ways to achieve dominance over the global oil markets without making a deal with the fickle duplicitous Sauds-

just survive and form a new axis with China, as barry and the eurocrats take the US and Europe to continuing economic and social bankrupcty

[Timber Rattler]

The Russians don't need the Saudis and all the trouble that they bring...they have their own immense oil fields and reserves in central Asia, the Caucasus region, and Siberia.

If I were Vlad Putin, I would tell them thanks but no thanks!

[Pan_Yan]

So by leaking this story to the Russian press Putin does three things:

1. Tells the world that he won’t buckle under pressure to drop Assad.
2. Tells the Saudis and everyone else that he can’t be threatened.
3. Calls the Chechen rebels Saudi puppets, which will play well at home.

[rockinqsranch]

I put this article down for the dog, and he whizzed on it.

[CMB_polarization]

Followup from Zero Hedge:

Meet Saudi Arabia's Bandar bin Sultan: The Puppetmaster Behind The Syrian War

[ek_hornbeck]

“I can give you a guarantee to protect the Winter Olympics next year. The Chechen groups that threaten the security of the games are controlled by us,”

I've often wondered why Russia, which faces Islamist rebels within its own borders, is often so friendly to Muslim countries in the Middle East. This is a likely answer: Arab countries tell Russia "support us at the UN security council and we'll cut the Chechen and Dagestani rebels loose."

[matthewrobertolson]

This is an interesting story. Putin apparently rejected the offer, which is not terribly surprising, because his interests are in protecting what few solid allies he has.