I'm finally putting the pieces together about this reigning insanity and I don't like what I see.

[Laelth]

112. I have to disagree with this analysis.

Here's my take:

As far as I can tell, this conflict is about natural gas. The UK, France, Italy, Spain, and Germany want it. Russia has it, and they exert a lot of influence on the European natural gas market. Our Western European allies want a pipeline through Syria to bring natural gas from Northern Iraq to the Mediterranean so that they can evade the stranglehold of Russia's near monopoly. Russia, obviously, doesn't want their lucrative natural gas market threatened, so they're propping up Assad (who has promised not to allow the pipeline). We're "subtly" pushing for Assad's removal so that the pipeline can be built to aid our European allies.

As far as I can tell, the Saudis have little interest in this conflict. They're definitely not worried about increasing their wealth. They're plenty rich already. They rely upon the United States to supply them with top-of-the-line military equipment and to preserve the market that has allowed them to become as rich as they are. I seriously doubt that Islamic usury laws have any bearing whatsoever on their decisionmaking.

-Laelth