Saudis just playing us off against Russia, Iran irrelevant
Reader comment on item: Riyadh Reorients to Moscow

Submitted by Charles Martel (United States), Dec 3, 2007 at 13:46

I don't think Saudis particularly fear a "grand bargain" between the US and Iran -- I've never even heard of that possibility and I'm pretty plugged in.

I think the Saudis know that a redefined and less intimate relationship with the US is very possible. It would have happened after 9/11 if they didn't have a puppet in the White House.

I think this is just the Saudis trying to diversify their arms sources and good relations with important countries.

Saudi and Russia can trade hard currency for weapons to the benefit of both, and both have an interest in high petro-energy prices.

As Daniel says, it is not particularly bad, besides not begin particularly shocking.

An appropriate international relationship with Saudi would be to our benefit, but as Daniel's article shows, we don't maintain a proper, symmetrical relationship. We constantly lick their ....... because we want cheap oiil-- and we're not even getting that anymore.

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