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Biggest Geo-Strategic Blunder Ever, but I Guess Dr. Pipes is Right to be Optimistic

Reader comment on item: Riyadh Reorients to Moscow

Submitted by Alex (United States), Dec 3, 2007 at 15:14

The possibility of Saudi Arabia, former American-allied anti-Communist linchpin during the Cold War, even to the chagrin of both leading Arab states like Egypt, Syria and (formerly) Iraq, and of its own Ikhwan internal shock troops, and a fully financially independent oil exporter, allying with the also oil-rich ex-Soviet Kremlin--and during a time of obscenely high gas prices--is a strategic blunder that, even theoretially, should not be able to happen.

Rather than President Bush's supposed aggressiveness pushing our allies into the arms of our adversaries, it is his compacency that has done this.

Nonetheless, I share Dr. Pipes' sense of relief that the Saudi yoke could begin to be lifted from this country as a result of this development, although the Saudis are wily enough to stick their bearclaws into everyone's honeypot at the same time.

(also remember that Prince Sultan's faction, centered around Princes Salman and Naif, as well as Bandar, is the chief rival to King Abdullah, who retains ultimate power)

Submitting....

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Reader comments (10) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Good riddance [114 words]VijayDec 9, 2007 11:25115960
Actually it clears things up [90 words]David W. LincolnDec 7, 2007 11:33115883
Wishful Thinking [87 words]sbalogDec 7, 2007 10:26115877
Re: Whistling Past Graveyards [84 words]NealDec 7, 2007 09:19115872
With Brazil Too. [135 words]YnnatchkahDec 5, 2007 14:17115771
Are the Saudis BUYING arms from Russia because Bush wants to GIVE THEM $20 billion in arms? [278 words]DrRJPDec 5, 2007 10:42115762
Ends covering the middle [38 words]Brian HDec 4, 2007 11:59115704
Biggest Geo-Strategic Blunder Ever, but I Guess Dr. Pipes is Right to be Optimistic [163 words]AlexDec 3, 2007 15:14115648
Saudis just playing us off against Russia, Iran irrelevant [156 words]Charles MartelDec 3, 2007 13:46115639
Flynt Analysis on the issue and disconnection in reality. [351 words]YnnatchkahDec 2, 2007 02:45115565

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Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

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