Why Saudi Arabia is warning Isreal.... (and the US)

[WCGreen]

because they finally can...

For the longest time, Saudi Oil was dependent on the US market... It was a sure, safe bet for the Saudi royalty and they didn't have to worry.... On the other hand, being so dependent on one rather large customer can, and will, pervert the relationship...

Now with China coming on line in a very very big way, Saudi Arabia has another huge some place else to sell their sweet sweet crude...

(IT doesn't need as much refining as some of the other oil in the world....)

So, the Saudi ruling class is more bold, more indepedent....

And just when we needed them to play by our rules...

Who would have thought....

[BOSSHOG]

1. I'm looking from a distance

but the sanest voice on this issue the past few days has come from Saudi Arabia, calling on a cease fire, cuffing Hezzbohlla around; but continuing the conversation. I'm not taking sides, but I'd like for all sides to have a thousand year timeout and maybe several generations from now they'll forget why they hated each other.

[WCGreen]

2. That'll happen.....

Anyway, Saudi Arabia is taking more and more of a front and center position...

They warned of was if a cease fire isn't in place soon...

Twenty five, thirty years ago, that would never have happened...

[burythehatchet]

3. oil is a fungible commodity

it can't be leveraged in that way. Just as Iran can't cut off supply to the US. Global supply/demand simply equalizes these actions.

[WCGreen]

4. Exactly, and it wasn't always that way....

Now that it is, Saudi Arabia doesn't have to worry about the market dictating it's foreign policy...

[EVDebs]

5. But the Straits of Hormuz can still be easily blocked...

tying up not only Saudi crude but Iranian and Iraqi as well. Yawn.

[WCGreen]

7. The US can't afford to blockade the straights...

And if Saudi Arabia and Iran are joined together against Israel, why would Iran block the straights....

[EVDebs]

9. And if US can't "afford" to then neither can Saudi Arabia or Iran...

but let Israel call everyone's bluff...BTW, the entire WORLD can't "afford" to have those Straits blocked. Does Israel have submarines ? Just asking.

[smaug]

10. Israeli submarines

Yes, they do.

[Dover]

6. What 'warning'?

My guess is that their middle of the road approach is just a way of doing nothing while appeasing outraged arabs.

It's difficult to know the actual position of the royal family on these matters, and its true that they may be anticipating a less exclusive relationship with the U.S., but I don't see much in the way of a real attempt at interference by the Saudis with the current aggressive trend by U.S./Israel/Britain. And I know the aggression is no surprise since the Bushies have targeted Syria and Iran from the get-go...and the attacks on Lebanon are just a step in that direction.
Hezbollah is just a small piece, and primarily an excuse, in a move toward taking out Iran.

[WCGreen]

8. This one....

"Saudi Arabia warns everybody that if the peace option fails because of Israeli arrogance, there will be no other option but war," he was quoted as saying by state media.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5214354.stm

[Dover]

12. Thanks. But read on in that article...

Saudi Arabia and Egypt have called for an immediate halt to the Israeli offensive but have also blamed Hezbollah for starting the fighting.

That criticism sparked a wave of anger in the Arab world.

The BBC's Magdi Abelhadi in Cairo says there is a fear that the scale of Lebanese casualties is being used by radical opposition groups across the region to mobilise public opinion against moderate leaders like King Abdullah and President Mubarak.

_____________________

The royal family is always under extreme pressure from Arabs due to their favoritism of the West.
Their true alliance seems to be with the international wealthy class than in pure nationalism.
So they must always try, at least rhetorically, to achieve a stern tone toward Israel/U.S./Britain.
However, their deeds are another thing. Why didn't they insist that Iran and Syria be included in the summit in Rome? Of course they might also be playing the Western countries with the same type of rhetoric, while secretly shifting their loyalties. Who really knows? But watch their actions rather than listen to their rhetoric.

Read both of these articles on the Summit in Rome: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2412260

[sleipnir]

11. They feel emboldened by actions in Iraq and Lebannon

And now, they will begin to take action.

The time is at hand, we begin the dance of the shark.