By Ashraf Fahim----Asia Times---"John Kerry's Sucker Saudi Punch"

[LimpingLib]

www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/FF10Ak03.html

I have been in the middle of a a book buying bindge (like $12,000 has left my pocket in the space of about 3 months) and have been eyeing many genres of books, "peak oil' type books like Resource Wars and The Partys Over have caught my attention. Anyway this articles covers that important issue which I consider to be 1 of the most important issues and one that Kerry is actualy possibly a hot prospect to lead on in a profound and positive way.It mentions Kerry having a plan that would kick in by 2020 and that caught my attention. It also covers Kerrys counter plans to Bush's "humble foreign policy" which is a funadamental issue of the day.


Skipping to one of the last 2 paragraphs instead of the first 2 , since the closing comments help to somewhat better cut to the chase , despite the fact that a well written article needs to be examined in its entirety (this isnt dime a dozen Limbaugh or Hannity crap that can be summed up in 2-6 words, infact its a fine piece of work that obviousily is written from a none "American style" perspective , which is another way of saying it isnt simple minded)

"Indeed, Kerrys entire Middle East policy is shaping up to be as one-sided and tin-eared to Arab sensibilitys as the Bush administrations.While the canidate has presented himself as the man to repiar America's image abroad and rebuild her alliances, his feeble critique of Bush's Iraq policy and giddy love affair with Ariel Sharon is unlikly to win back the disillusioned Arab masses.

As the campaign rolls toward its climax in November, canidate Kerry continues to perfect an anti-Saudi routine that offers a cost-free shot to Bush's solar plexus.If he really intends to win the race,however, he should consider pulling that particular punch. Whatever the merits of his arguments, he risks oversimplifing a complex stratgic conundrum and scapegoating a loyal ally. A president Kerry could end up repeating Bush's Iraq blunder by painting the United States into a rhetorical corner in which its vital interests are at stake and in which it has no obvious strategy for success"

[teryang]

1. the motivation of the Iraq invasion

...was to replace American bases in Saudi Arabia which we were asked to leave. Our establishment of permanent facilities in Iraq is in anticipation of the coming collapse of the Saudi monarchy. American bases in Iraq were to be used to secure oil production facilities in Saudi Arabia.

It's a fair article. American policy toward Israel has become a frankenstein monster. American ties to doomed monarchies are paradoxical. Sooner or later they have to go. The history of monarchies is not a promising one. Preserving the economic infrastructure will be the utmost priority during a political collapse.

The real irony is that our Iraq policy destabilized the entire region. Our public abandonment of even the pretense of fairness with respect to Palestinian Israeli issues destabilized the middle east further. Similar trends such as administration policy toward N.Korea and Taiwan indicate that the current administration is inviting and aggravating instability to promote defense contractors and weapons sales. They and the oil industry completely overestimate their ability to control these events by intimidation and security measures.

[bemildred]

2. There is nobody in charge, it's all short-term, localized self-interest.

To overestimate something, one has to be thinking about it in
the first place. One of the striking things about the Shrub
administration and its' fiasco in Iraq is the extent to which
small time players have been acting autonomously. There is no
oversight, only damage control after the fact. Chaos, I think
the word is ...

I would wager that quite a few of the big deal players prefer
presiding over the ruins to giving up control, and never really
consider that they might not be allowed even that. In the world
in which they are used to operating there is never any accountability
for the elites.

It is interesting to speculate about where this mess will be in
a year or so.

[teryang]

3. The jingo, "we're the only superpower" underlies

...all of what has come to pass. It's a totalitarian mantra. It is a party thing. It is highly choreographed. There is an ideological program. But like other fascist visions, it's full of holes.

Small independent players are confiscating millions. The big players with direct ties to the heart of the regime are confiscating billions.
It started on 911 when the plan went into execution.