Saudis and Iran prepare to do battle over corpse of Iraq

The Sunday Telegraph ^ | December 3, 2006 | Philip Sherwell

[Joe Boucher]

Are you sure?
Seems like a whole lot of hell holes do have it.

[Tahoe3002]

I could not agree more. I would LOVE to see SA and Iran go at it, as we watch from the sidelines, rubbing our hands in glee. I would sincerely LOVE to see a war between these two muslims countries. We could sell weapons to both sides (limit the spare parts and maintenance manuals), then go in and rebuild the oil infrastructure and refineries.

This is my favorite scenario. The Persian Gulf could then be renamed the RED SEA!

[alex]

It was always my point, let all the morons everywhere have all the fights they want. It is way too expensive to maintain the the "world order" moreover to maintain it alone - the free trade does not provide enough benefits to cover the costs.

And one more thing: US out of UN and UN out of US.

[Canard]

Explain how your views do not constitute wishing for the complete failure of the US mission in Iraq? Or maybe you were just joking?

[Prodigal Son]

Nice try at diversion, all those deals were done when we needed the sauidis for their bases.

LOL. So it's ok when we do it- but not when others do it? That just doesn't hold water at all.

If the Saudis and Iranians want to kill each other- sell 'em all the guns and bullets they want to buy.

[Prodigal Son]

Nations do not become friends or enemies because of their classification by the US government.

Actually, they do.

[Prodigal Son]

Explain how your views do not constitute wishing for the complete failure of the US mission in Iraq?

Iraq was only a starting point. The destruction of Iran and Saudi Arabia are both bigger and more important items on our list. We've done what we went to Iraq to do. They had a half-decent chance at democracy handed to them on a silver platter. If they'd rather kill each other- oh well. Iraq is not the point.

[Canard]

"The destruction of Iran and Saudi Arabia are both bigger and more important items on our list. We've done what we went to Iraq to do"

Who is 'we' and 'our' in this post? I would define 'we' and 'our' in this context as the US (and British in my case) governments.

If that is what we are talking about, then we haven't completed what we went to Iraq to do. If the democratic government falls, we pull out our troops and the country turns into a proxy battlefield for Saudi Arabia and Iran, then that cannot possibly be claimed as accomplishing the mission.

On the second point, I see no evidence that the US or British government desire the 'destruction' of Iran or Saudi Arabia. I don't doubt they would prefer some moderation of the Iranian government. Wrt Saudi I think they'd rather look the other way and stay well out.

[roses of sharon]

Military powers, wearing military uniforms? Who knew?

Hiding behind women and children to blow up innocents in the marketplace has been the only "power" I have seen in the ME for over a decade.

[Prodigal Son]

We- as in the Western World. Islam is antithetical to our culture. Until it is destroyed, this war will go on. And by this war, I don't mean the current conflict in Iraq. I mean the larger war.

I don't care if the Iraqis get democracy or not. I don't care what the media says about it. I don't care if the democrats get some temporary gain from it or not. What I care about is seeing Mecca reduced to a smouldering crater and no more oil money being used to finance our enemies. What I care about is seeing Iran punished for 1979.

What I care about most is not ever letting this backward culture of death attack us again.

Personally, I would use nukes. But letting the Saudis and Iranians fight each other first works too. Maybe not as quickly, but it would give us some time to reload.

[gore_sux]

We will starve terrorists of funding, turn them one against another, drive them from place to place, until there is no refuge or no rest.

George Bush - Sept 20, 2001

[muawiyah]

This is what the Saudis and Iranians have been bribing US and UK politicians to get.

Why any honest American would support the idea is beyond me. Rather "W" should round up the folks taking the money ~ and he can't say he doesn't know who they are ~

[uncbob]

We should have seized all the ME oil Fields back in 91 when we had the miltary strength to do it

That is what I told my co-workers that needed to be done

The ME is too volatile to alow the oil supply to be in the muslims control

We had to go over there to protect the sea lanes when Iran and Iraq were going at each other

Problem is our military has been gutted and manpower levels for boots on the ground are no where near what we would need

Crapolla hits the fan in the ME watch the oil supply dry up

[muawiyah]

The only charitable excuse for the Saudis would be their concern that 5 million refugees might come their way. Rather than calling in American help like the pitiful, helpless people in Europe did with Bosnia, they will be well prepared to shoot them down at the border.

[uncbob]

AHEM

OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL OIL

What happens to that when all this killing each other goes on

Remember when Iran and Iraq went at each other

I do believe we had to go over there and insure the sea lanes stayed open so OIL OIL OIL could keep flowing

[Wilhelm Tell]

Probably what will eventually happen is that the Sunni part of Iraq will become part of Syria and the Shiah part will become a satellite state of Iran. So all we have accomplished is to give Iran a big prize. This might cause problems for Iran in the future, however. Even though their client state will be of the same sect, they are Arabs while the Iranians are Persians. They won't get along in the long run.

And the Kurds will want their de-facto state to become official and this might cause conflict with Turkey. If Turkey becomes part of the EU, this might drag the EU into a mid-East war.

[EQAndyBuzz]

"Saudi Arabia, America's closest ally in the Arab world, is considering backing anti-US insurgents because it is so alarmed that Sunnis in Iraq will be left to their fate — military and political — at the hands of the Shia majority."

Anyone want to bet that the US and the Saudis already discussed this as part of the strategy when America puts its troops closer to the Iranian and Syrian border? If it wasn't discussed, then Rummy's "secret" memo would never have surfaced.

[EQAndyBuzz]

"Even though their client state will be of the same sect, they are Arabs while the Iranians are Persians. They won't get along in the long run."

I don't know. Is it possible to mass murder 30 million plus "Persians?"

Iran has to become a non0oil producing state as quickly as possible.

[Mike Darancette]

The Saudis are understood to be considering providing Sunni military leaders with funding, logistical support and even arms, as Iran already does for Shia militia in Iraq.

Where does alQeada (which now backs the Sunnis in Iraq) fit into this equation since alQaeda's main reason for being is hatred for the Saudi royal family?

[CottShop]

We should tell all the civilians to vacate the area, let the Suadies and Iranians go at it- then drop the atomic bomb on any survivors! http://sacredscoop.com