Saudi will intervene in Iraq if US withdraws-aide

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N29311689.htm

WASHINGTON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Using money, weapons or its oil power, Saudi Arabia will intervene to prevent Iranian-backed Shi'ite militias from massacring Iraqi Sunni Muslims once the United States begins pulling out of Iraq, a security adviser to the Saudi government said on Wednesday.

Nawaf Obaid, writing in The Washington Post, said the Saudi leadership was preparing to revise its Iraq policy to deal with the aftermath of a possible U.S. pullout, and is considering options including flooding the oil market to crash prices and thus limit Iran's ability to finance Shi'ite militias in Iraq.

"To be sure, Saudi engagement in Iraq carries great risks -- it could spark a regional war. So be it: The consequences of inaction are far worse," Obaid said.

The article said the opinions expressed were Obaid's own and not those of the Saudi government.

[Target_For_Exterm]

1. Heavens, the ME is going to explode.

If Saudi meddles in Iraq, then you KNOW Iran will too. This could end up escalating into a regional conflict.

[RethugAssKicker]

2. Just what is Dick Cheney up to over there????

[Target_For_Exterm]

5. Nothing good. The evil SOB.

[endarkenment]

3. intervene with what?

All they can do is fund the sunni faction - which they are already doing.

[Target_For_Exterm]

4. Saudi has actually bought a lot of military equipment from us

and a lot of their people have trained here. (Thus, the reports that many of the 9/11 hijackers spent time training with the US military.)

[endarkenment]

6. They have an army of around 200,000.

I rather doubt that they can intervene militarily in Iraq. They can certainly provide tons of support for the sunni faction in the civil war, which they are most likely already doing unofficially.

[Binka]

Saudi Arabia Is One Of The Worlds Biggest Arms Dealers

They are bad news and not to be trusted. Cheney is stirring up the pot I see now, he knows he is out of his job soon and he is making his own policy. This is fucked up.

[lapfog_1]

8. The sons of the upper middle class form the bulk of the

"enlisted ranks"... the sons of the upper class are the war leaders (any glamor job like fighter pilot).

But this does not a military make. Even with training here, even with our latest technology.

The sons of th wealthy will not fight, and will not lead. And the best minds are not in charge.
They will not intervene in Iraq. When Saddam threatened the Saudis before, they called up their buddy Bush41 and we came riding to the rescue. If they intervene in Iraq, it will be through some proxy or other, but at this point, it's hard to say who... hired mercs, Egypt, Jordan, maybe Pakistan... but none will be eager to go.

[blogslut]

7. Wasn't that the plan all along?

Wasn't Hussein just about the only leader in that region that wouldn't play the Saudi reindeer games? Wasn't this whole thing about removing him as a roadblock to complete Saudi control of the oil?

[Jacobin]

9. "Greatest foreign policy blunder in U.S. history"

Jimmy Carter was probably understating the case.

This is going to get uglier and uglier as the turmoil spreads throughout the region.