Saudi clerics rally support for Sunnis and Saudi ambassador Abruptly Resigns

hmmm...

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/12/12/news/saudi.php

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/11/AR2006121101333.html?nav=hcmoduletmv


and

http://www.resourceinvestor.com/pebble.asp?relid=27047

Saudi Intervention in Iraq to Send Oil Stratospheric?

By Stephen Clayson
11 Dec 2006 at 01:51 PM EST


LONDON (ResourceInvestor.com) -- On November 29, a Saudi official named Nawaf Obaid was published in the Washington Post stating that if the U.S. were to withdraw its forces from Iraq, as so many members of the public seem to want, then Saudi Arabia would intervene to protect Iraq’s Sunni Muslims from its Shiites, armed factions of which are already receiving support in the form of money, logistical aid and weapons from Iran.

It seems as if at least half of the violence occurring in Iraq today is as a result of animosity between these two Muslim sects, whose animosity towards each other has led to a spiralling pattern of tit-for-tat attacks that without the limited peacekeeping effect of U.S. and U.K. forces would probably constitute a full blown civil war.

The depth of feeling then, is immense. Obaid admitted Saudi Arabia’s willingness to ignite a regional war in order to protect Iraq’s Sunnis. Although Shiites are thought to make up less than 10% of the world’s Muslim population, they currently have the upper hand over Sunnis in Iraq thanks to Iran’s support. If Saudi Arabia were to tip the balance in the Sunnis’ favour, then Iran might be unable to resist upping the ante again, and we could see the outbreak of a Saudi-Iranian war.

In that event, an obvious economic target for both would be the other’s oil producing infrastructure, but while such strikes would deprive the producers of revenue, the fact that most of the oil produced is exported would send the world price of oil skyrocketing. Even after the conflict had ended, the damage to producing capacity would take a long time to repair.

Both Saudi Arabia and Iran are well armed by the standards of the region, Saudi Arabia particularly so as it has been allowed to purchase substantial quantities of up to date Western made military equipment. The loss of life would likely be appalling; a somewhat comparable conflict, the Iran-Iraq war of 1980-88 cost over 1 million casualties.

has more to do with things spiraling downward at breakneck speed. So, for all of his "until we succeed" rhetoric, he cannot bring himself to speak the truth which is: It Is Out of Our Control. We cannot succeed in what we do not control.

After Cheney being summoned along with reports that one option being proferred is to pick sides (and it ain't the Sunnis!), added to the politcal spanking domestically...We're screwed big time.

Get ready, folks. It's going to be a very bumpy ride.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C12%5C12%5Cstory_12-12-2006_pg4_8

“Muslims must stand directly with our Sunni brothers in Iraq and support them by all appropriate, well-studied means ... Muslims generally should be made aware of the danger of the Shiites,” it said.

“Clerics and intellectuals should not stand hands folded over what’s happening to their Sunni brothers in Iraq; all occasions should be used to expose the Shiites’ practices ... What has been taken by force can only be got back by force.”

to go after the Sunnis.