Brad,
>But who do you replace the Al-Saud and the As-Sabah with? Lots of the
>plausible candidates--the Saudi versions of Hafez Assad or Saddam
>Hussein or the Ayatollah Khomeini or the Taliban--would be a step
>backward, not forward. The Sheikhs' rule has been dictatorial, but
>"softer" than rule in many neighboring countries.
>
>Until the guys at the NSC see a clear way forward to replace the
>Al-Saud and the As-Sabah in such a way that their successors will be
>more like Nasser or Ataturk than Hafez Assad or Saddam Hussein, they
>are going to bide their time.
You're leaving out an important option. What about the Mossadeq's of the Arab world?
As long as the expression of popular will means nationalizing the oil industry, and/or directing oil profits to benefit the general population of the country, as opposed to being used to purchase weapons and other US products, the US will do its best to thwart the emergence of such a goverment, regardless of its other characteristics.
Brett