[tpaine]

I don't 'get' your attitude with the article fellas..

Saudi Arabia seems to be about ready to self destruct, and you guys see no problem?

[Agricola]

He was critical of Bush's energy policy near the end- and is a moderate liberal and Democrat thus anything he says can be dismissed as "trash".

[Tom D.]

Friedman makes some good points here. The house of Saud has been too timid to make a move one way or the other. The fall of Iraq has got to make the Saudis nervous. We have winked at the Saudi indecision for many years and over several administrations because they keep oil flowing here. If the USA is moderately successful in bringing some form of stable democratic, free market system to Iraq, we will be much less dependent on Saudia Arabia for oil price stability. As a result, the USA will be much less indulgent. The Saudis will then be faced with having either to 1) Get a spine transplant and stand up to the radical Islamics; or 2) Get a spine transplant and tell the USA to go to hell. While America will be helpful to the Saudis in prosecuting choice # 1, the radical Islamists won't be much help to the Saudis in brushing off America (remember Afganistan). Recognizing the true situation is going to be a painful process to the House of Saud. The Saudis are not going to like to tell their domestic radicals to straighten up their acts or else, but as a practical matter they will have little choice.