I don’t buy it one bit, not for a second. For all its pretenses about ideology, the Iranian regime has been incredibly pragmatic since the Iranian Revolution. I mean, they even bought US weapons from Israel during the Iran-Iraq war, helped the US topple the Taliban, and so much more. Iran has absolutely nothing to gain from assassinating the Saudi ambassador to the US and so much to lose. This whole scenario could well be part of a strategy to spin the recent and furious anti-Saudi regime protests in eastern Saudi Arabia, home both to Saudi Arabia’s oppressed Shi’i minority and most of the kingdom’s oil reserves, as part of a wider anti-Saudi conspiracy spearheaded by Iran, which, of course, is blamed for the protests. And, to be sure, the US is part of the spin. The US has a vested interest in discrediting the protests in Saudi Arabia. Much of US foreign policy in the Persian Gulf revolves around securing the dreaded and wholly authoritarian regime in Riyadh.
The Saudi dictatorship is the most important oil producing state. They not only have the largest reserves in the world, but more importantly, they have the highest capacity to produce the most barrels of oil per day. So if prices increase drastically, the Saudis, being the swing producer, can increase output by as much as 4 million barrels per day to bring prices down. In other words, the survival of this regime, however distasteful, is of utmost importance to the US and other foreign oil-dependent countries (the US consumers 20 million barrels per day!)
In that context, the protests in eastern Saudi Arabia are perceived by the US and Saudi authorities as entirely unacceptable and explosive, especially considering how protests have been mushrooming into revolutionary movements across the regime. Thus, the “conspiracy” alleging that Iran plotted to kill the Saudi ambassador could very well be part of the larger strategy to highlight Iran’s perceived anti-Saudi belligerence and to tie the demonstrations to this wider Iranian anti-Saudi conspiracy thereby discrediting the legitimate protests as part of a foreign plot.
Pouya,
I think that this is possible, as a response to the Wikileaks revelation that King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia asked the US to ask Israel to bomb the nuclear sites in Iran. That’s the only thing that I can think of in regards to this, but it does offer a motive…
-s
On NPR, they reported that there was intent to bomb the Saudi and Israeli embassies too.
It was kuwaiti ambassador’s family who cried “babies were thrown out of incubators” by Iraqi troops. Now is the Saudi turn.
What this shows is the extent to which the powers that be go to for war. They care not about this nation. It is amazing how the rest of us feel helpless. No change in economic policy, no change in foreign policy. Where is this country going to? All of these events just show that we, the people, are simply not in control.
Stuart
Iran has far better ways to retaliate against the Saudi than to kill a diplomat on US soil. This is so far out there that needs no consideration.
Pouya’s teacher thinks that the guy was mentally ill — http://www.juancole.com .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D6BcOXNY6s
Pepe Escobar laughs at the alleged plot on RT:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D6BcOXNY6s
But I really like this Arbabsiar guy – the failed used car salesman who was notoriously foregetful.
The administration’s case for the “plot” is now falling apart. Yesterday’s hype in the media has by now been replaced with doubts and mistrust. Given the obvious weakness of the case this was predictable.
But why then did the Obama administration use this case at all? Why come up with such a weak case that was sure to make it a laughing stock?
http://www.moonofalabama.org/
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While we all think the allegations are stupid, let it be known that it makes no difference. The train of confrontation with Iran has left its station. We cannot even see any evidence that our government pays any attention to what people want, be it bailing out the banks against the public will, or paying lip service to “Occupy Wall Street” movement. They operate under a non-democratic authority.
“The Iranian “conspiracy” to kill the Saudi
ambassador to the US | iPouya†seriously causes me
ponder a somewhat extra. I really treasured every individual
portion of this post. I appreciate it ,Rodger