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On Saudis and the bomb...
Think of it this way. With two very critical differences, the Sunnis of Saudi Arabia and the Shi'a of Iran bear a resemblance to the Capitalists of the United States and the Communists of the (former) USSR. They are ideological enemies, as were we and the Soviets. Perhaps their enmity is even more extreme, based, as it is, on differing and mutually-exclusive interpretations of a religion.

The two very critical differences? First, while we and the Soviets were both capable of defending ourselves (through Mutually Assured Destruction), the Saudis, if forced to be self-reliant, would be no match for even a non-nuclear Iran. Their population is a fraction of Iran's, and their economy—their oil fields—is only a stone's throw across the narrow Persian (or Arabian, if you prefer) Gulf. The Saudis depend on us to deter the descendents of Ayatollah Khomeini, as they did to shelter them from the wrath of Saddam in 1990-1991. Second, while there were very few Communists in America and very few (perhaps, no) Capitalists in the USSR, there are a lot of Shi'a in Saudi Arabia, and they happen to reside where the oil fields are located.

So if I were the King of Saudi Arabia, I'd be concerned about Iranian influence on my Shi'a subjects and extremely worried about Iran becoming a nuclear power. In the aftermath of 9/11, I'd wonder what the U.S. would be willing to do if I were threatened by a nuclear Iran determined to take my place as the leader of the Islamic world. Wouldn't it be ironic if the end result of bin Laden's Sunni fantasy were to elevate the Shi'a to the top of Islam's totem pole?

Faced with these risks, I'd be guilty of dereliction of duty if I didn't at least have an option to become a nuclear power.

There's plenty of evidence—much of it dating from long before 9/11—that the Saudis have been exploring this option. Whether they've exercised it, I can't say. Judge for yourself after reading this post.
head to the link and read it.

Posted by: 3dc 2006-04-13
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=148216