I don't know how I missed this story, but apparently there's some evidence that Saudi Arabia has rigged its oil fields to self-destruct in the event of a collapse of the royal family. If so, it's no wonder that America has been so kind to them, despite the country's support for Islamofacist terrorists.
FrontPageMagazine.com | May 11, 2005 Investigative writer Gerald Posner reveals something most extraordinary in Secrets of the Kingdom: The Inside Story of the Saudi-U.S. Connection, his book to be published by Random House later this month: that the Saudi government may have rigged its oil and gas infrastructure with a self-destruct system that would keep it out of commission for decades. If true, this could undermine the world economy at any time.Posner starts by recalling various hints that Americans dropped back in the 1970s, that the high price and limited production of oil might lead to a U.S. invasion of Saudi Arabia and a seizure of its oil fields. For example, in 1975, Secretary of State Henry Kissinger murkily threatened the Saudis with a double-negative: “I am not saying that there’s no circumstances where we would not use force” against them.
In response, Posner shows, the Saudi leadership began to think of ways to prevent such an occurrence. They could not do so the usual way, by building up their military, for that would be futile against the much stronger U.S. forces. So the monarchy -- one of the most creative and underestimated political forces in modern history -- set out instead to use indirection and deterrence. Rather than mount defenses of its oil installations, it did just the opposite, inserting a clandestine network of explosives designed to render the vast oil and gas infrastructure inoperable -- and not just temporarily but for a long period.
Fascinating speculation, but I doubt the Saudis will ever let us find out the truth. Even the Daily Kos appears to understand, then, why it is that America has put so little pressure on the Saudis for public cooperation.
If true, it appears our Saudi "friends" are thoroughly prepared to take their whole country, as well as the global economy, down with them in the event of an attack on the house of Saud. It also seems that they perfectly content to essentially blackmail the US in to protecting them and their interests at all costs. I think we all knew that oil was the reason that we don't particularly push the Saudis much on things like "democracy" or women's rights, but I doubt many of us knew that they were willing to make that oil untouchable for centuries should someone, foreign or domestic, moved against them.
Philomathean reminds us of some of the Saudis' involvement with terror.
For decades, Saudi Arabia has used its oil revenues to promote the spread of Wahhabism, an extremist and intolerant form of Islam. The Saudis have financed the construction and establishment of religious schools, or madrassas, in many countries, including the United States. These schools, which in places like Pakistan are often the only affordable educational option available, preach a message of hate and intolerance for infidels. Not all madrassa graduates go on to become terrorists, but enough do to ensure that the War on Terror will continue indefinitely.Unfortunately, it looks like the Saudis will be hatching diabolical schemes for some time to come. For one thing, they are smart enough not to engage in overt acts that would serve as a justification for regime change. The Saudis also take pains to cooperate with the U.S. on various short-term diplomatic and military initiatives. And they fund an impressive network of lobbyists and political action groups in the U.S.
What can we do to stop them? If we can't convince them, and the royal family promises to blow the oil fields if they ever lose power... we're stuck. The only real hope for a quick solution is some sort of special operation targeting their triggering mechanism; in order for the self-destruct to be fail-safe it can't be easy to set off, which means that control is probably concentrated in just a few locations. Otherwise, we wait.
While not buying the "we invaded Iraq for oil" arguments at all, there's no doubt that getting Iraqi oil back onto the market (as opposed to stealing it for Halliburton or something) had to be part of the overall strategy in the war. As is building up the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. And maybe even drilling in ANWR.
The global economy is petroleum-based, and we can do little right now about Saudi Arabia, even though it's probably as close to a physical heart that the international terrorism problem has.
But build up the SPR stockpile, get Iraqi oil flowing freely, and bring ANWR online. By the time that happens Iraq will have settled down and the Army will be rested a bit. Then really start rattling the sabers instead of holding hands.
That's how Murdoc would play it, and I've got more than a sneaking suspicion that it's how it's going to go down.
from the outfield:
Frank Herberts "Dune", an obvious take-off of Arab culture, has as its protagonist, Paul Mau'dib Atreides. He reclaims his rightful dukedom (and more) by threatening the emperor with the total destruction of the lifeblood of the known universe - melenge or spice. (oil in our parlance)
Herberts dipiction of the arab world is viscerally brutal, intellectually compelling, and idealistically magnificant. I would find it no surprise if Saudi Arabia were to mimic fiction and set in place a similar "deadman switch".
There is more to do than to wait. You can quietly develop the technology and infrastructure necessary to switch off oil. Once that's available (and it's likely to arrive around 2010 with the arrival of hydrogen fuel cell cars) the destruction of the KSA's oil fields becomes a global recession causing annoyance and not a global catastrophe. Until that happy day arrives, we make nice with the Saudis.
TML: Hydrogen cars won't appreciably reduce our consumption of oil, by my understanding. When oil is refined you get a fairily fixed proportion of derivatives, such as gasoline, lip balm, plastic, and so on. Unless we reduce our consumption of all these products in proportion to their creation by the refining process, all we'll end up doing is reducing the price of gasoline as demand goes down.