The Saudi perspective on US withdrawal from Iraq?

[freefall]

From the Falls Church, Virginia News Press
The Peak Oil Crisis: The Saudi Op-Ed
By Tom Whipple
Thursday, 07 December 2006

On November 29, the Washington Post carried an op-ed by Nawaf Obaid, an advisor to the Saudi government. Despite the obligatory "the opinions expressed are his own", and a press release denying government involvement, the piece clearly carries an important message from Saudi King Abdullah to President Bush, Washington, and the American people.

"Stepping Into Iraq" starts by reminding President Bush that in February 2003 the Saudi Foreign Minister had warned him that if the US removed Saddam Hussein by force he would only be solving one problem by creating five more.

Obaid goes on to point out that had the President followed the Foreign Minister's advice, Iraq would not now be facing "full blown civil war and disintegration."

The thrust of the message, however, is a thinly veiled warning to the US not to walk away from Iraq. Obaid quotes the Saudi Ambassador who said last month: "Since America came into Iraq uninvited, it should not leave Iraq uninvited." And Obaid adds, "If it does, one of the first consequences will be massive Saudi intervention to stop Iranian-backed Shiite militias from butchering Iraqi Sunnis."

Much more at:
http://www.fcnp.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=586&Itemid=33

The Washington Post op-ed referred to above can be found here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/28/AR2006112801277.html

Yesterday the Post had a Reuters piece indicating Obaid has been fired:
"Saudi security adviser sacked after Iraq article"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/06/AR2006120601270.html

The implications and complications of Saudi involvement and the threat of interruptions in the oil markets don't seem to figure much in the official and pundit discussions of our possible withdrawal from Iraq. The possibilities presented in Whipple's editorial are chilling.

A previous discussion of the topic on DU can be found here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2634069

A frightening description of the effects of $4.00 a gallon gas on the US way of life can be found here:
http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/column?oid=oid%3A268467

Not happy reading I am afraid.

Peace,

freefall

[watrwefitinfor]

1. Required Reading. K & R

You reckon this is what Cheney was told in person?
Shit, meet fan.
Wat

[freefall]

5. As Whipple says in his article, it will probably be years before we

find out what they said to Cheney, if ever. I would like to have been a fly on the wall. Thanks for the K&R, wat.

freefall

[warrens]

2. It will happen anyway

Iran and SA are not going to stand by. They'll be in Iraq by this summer.

[GreenZoneLT]

3. Saudi Arabia fights like a girl

They do not want any piece of Iran. They'll bitch and moan and arm the Iraqi Sunnis, but you'll never see a Saudi military incursion there.

[Junkdrawer]

4. A proxy war with the Saudis giving the Sunnis better toys...

Question is: Who will train the Sunnis to use those toys?

[GreenZoneLT]

6. Well, considering many of them are ex-Army

The cream of the Baathist officer corps are the core of the insurgency, so I don't know they need much training.

[Junkdrawer]

7. Didn't Iraq use Soviet arms? The Saudis are buying US arms....

I hear that there's a world of difference between the two...

[AndyTiedye]

8. I Don't Think Even The Saudis Want Us To Keep Doing What We are Doing Now