Without any evidence at all, Sherm, I 'feel' quite sure that certain factions within the Saudi government are tasked with keeping the peace with AQ by any means necessary, ranging from violent to financial options.
The House of Saud is always involved in a sort of 4-dimensional chess game with us, each other, and the rest of the Muslim world. I cannot pretend to understand it. It's a bit like the town poker game always going on in the back room of someplace to which we are not invited ...we just know the game is going on!
>>”Without any evidence at all, Sherm, I ‘feel’ quite sure that certain factions within the Saudi government are tasked with keeping the peace with AQ by any means necessary, ranging from violent to financial options.”<<
I agree with this and other related comments in this thread.
Couple of interesting links I posted in another thread couple of weeks ago - the second one is a bit long but credible and well researched, well worth reading:
http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2011/08/9-11-2011-201108