Well, it hasn’t been that quiet; it’s gotten play in the papers, and all. Though the motivation officially given isn’t “we’re worried that the Saud family will be overthrown” but rather “OK, we know the Saudi people don’t really like us being here.”
But if our government “sees the writing on the wall”, where’s the energy policy? And I mean conservation; if Saudi Arabia 2003 turns into Iran 1978-79, there’s no way we’ll be able to drill our way out of that one. I’m wondering who let all these neocon cowboys loose? They want to go to war with (or at least intensely piss off) everyone over there, but they don’t seem to have thought ahead about the consequences.
Maybe they just assume we’ll be able to militarily rule the entire region, and keep the oil flowing. I suppose it’s possible, but it damned sure ain’t the way to bet.
“I welcome Russia’s interest in increasing its production and exports of oil and gas,” said Alan Larson, US under-secretary of state for the economy, on Wednesday." Russia’s oil renaissance
“In March, Russia overtook Saudi Arabia to regain its position as the world’s number one oil producer for the first time since the 1980s.” Opec quota busting hits new peaks
“But with non-Opec producers such as Russia keen to boost exports, the longer the quota-busting lasts, the more tenuous Opec’s control over the oil market becomes.” Oil trade strengthens US-Russian ties
"Mr Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin promised to work together to “reduce volatility and enhance predictability” in world oil markets.
Both countries are seen as wanting more Russian oil to enter the US, which has been reliant for imports mostly on countries in the Opec producers’ cartel. "
Couple the above with new domestic oil production (presumably) characterised as being ‘patriotic’ (in the wake of ‘international uncertainty’), demonstrating to the Saud’s they’re not the only game in town, etc, etc… and you have something to work with, from a CEO POV.
Agreed. The moderates in Iran were garnering more and more support. The “Great Satan” crowd, although not eliminated, was becoming less of a force in society and government
Then Bush comes out and calls them the Axis of Evil and they figure, fuck it, let’s just keep hating America.
With friends like Saudi Arabia, who needs enemies?
The biggest US presence in the KSA (and I believe the region ), the coalition forces at PSAB, is staying put. There are things being shifted around, but it seems to be a PR move to help the House of Saud with domestice issues.
Keep in mind also that foreign policy vis a vis oil imports impacts domestic policy as well. The reason we can refrain from tearing up and paving over the beauty that is Alaska is that we get our oil from the Middle East. If we couldn’t get it there, you think the average soccer mom in Connecticut is going to give up her SUV to save a caribou? I don’t think so.
Re: The OP. I consider myself your basic average American, and I have no illusion that Saudi Arabia is our friend. We play ball with them because we need them, just like they play ball with us because they need us. That doesn’t stop them from painting us as The Great Satan, or at least allowing others to do so, vocally and constantly. As has already been noted, this gives the disaffected in their country an enemy on which to blame all their ills – an enemy other than the House of Saud. Saudi Arabia extends one hand to shake while holding a knife behind its back with the other one, and we put up with it because we have to.
I don’t know anyone who cares about political issues/foreign policy, of any ideology, who doesn’t recognize this.
Yes, the apron has been finished at al Udeid, but PSAB is still in place, and PSAB is still where the real action is. When the move the Joint Task Force-Southwest Asia out of S.A., ** THEN **I’ll say “something’s up”. As long as JTFSWA is still there, the US isn’t moving operations because it’s concerned, or it thinks it has to, it’s to help the Saudi’s at home. JTFSWA is exponentially more sensitive and valuable than the operations that are being shifted to Qatar. That’d be the FIRST thing that’s be moved if the KSA was considered unstable.