MSNBC: Saudi Arabia mulls sending troops to Iraq 'to protect their interests' there

[dogday]

NBC News' Andrea Mitchell reported on MSNBC that Saudi Arabia is mulling whether or not to send troops to Iraq, to "protect their interests" there.

According to Mitchell, Saudi Arabia is "deeply skeptical" that Iraq's government will be able to quell the unrest. Over a hundred Iraqi civilians died today, including at least 15 from a bombing at Baghdad University.

But a leading Saudi Arabia official warns that Saudi Arabia can not be expected to "solve Iraq's problems."

After the first Iraqi invasion in 1990, then Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney paid several visits to Saudi Arabia to secure permission to launch attacks from its country with U.S. troops.

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2007/MSNBC_Breaking_Saudi_Arabia_mulls_sending_0116.html

[fooj]

1. Col. Jacobs gave a chilling analysis.

"If we think the American's are getting shot at NOW...wait until the Saudi's get there."

Shit. :cry:

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

18. Saudi Air Force can harm U.S. troops in the short run...

But if that happens, we'll yell "Remember the Maine" and "Gulf of Tonkin", and turn their airplanes into ingots. And the polls will indicate strong support for vengeance, again, in the short term.

Their ground forces don't inspire much respect.

The U.S. is great at Shock & Awe, and blasting big rocks into little rocks. It's the post-war consequences that we don't know how to do.

I don't think Saudi would attack the U.S. troops. Not when they can pay some other sucker to do it.

[shain from kane]

2. Will Iran be permitted to do the same thing?

[Virginia Dare]

3. Inquiring minds want to know, what interests...

the Saudis have in Iraq?

[atreides1]

5. Sunni Muslims

The Saudis are Sunnis themselves, at least the majority are.

[MidwestTransplant]

11. Aside from being Sunnis they want to counter Iran's influence.

If there is an attack on Iran, you can be sure it was heavily promoted by Saudi.

[acmavm]

4. Just when you think things can't get any worse...

[Bob Loblaw]

8. I've stopped thinking things can't get worse.

I'm sure they will, but I stopped being able to imagine how they'll get worse a long time ago.

[acmavm]

14. And apparently you've taken the correct path.

[Cooley Hurd]

6. Shit...

Saudi v. Iran, no longer by proxy...

This ain't good, folks.:(

[spanone]

7. Wow, mr. bush* is spreading his sunshine all over the place. An ENTIRE Mid-East war, that'll be fun.

Why not invite the Egyptians and the Syrians and the Turks and the Palestinians and the Pakistanis, hell throw the Indians in there too.
We'll have a grand ol time. Get that ol rapture feeling goin'!!!
Good God Almighty.

[MessiahRp]

9. Maybe when he said "spreading democracy throughout the Middle East"

he meant spreading WW III there. Maybe he wants them to all self destruct in one big arab bloodbath. It's probably just want his insane christo-fascist head has been dreaming about.

Anyone check to see if this is in the PNAC playbook?

Rp

[alofarabia]

10. I lived in Riyadh for 3 year...

and one thing I'm NOT worried about is the military prowess of the Saudi armed forces. There isn't any. Any war between Iran and Saudi will be a very short one (unless we are stupid enough to get in the middle of it).

[trumad]

12. Welcom to DU...

oh...and can we say 8 bucks a gallon?

[aquart]

13. Exactly. Saudis dirty their lilywhite hands?

Soldiering is a wee bit too much like manual labor.

[Disturbed]

15. What exactly would Saudi Troops be doing?

The US is fighting the Sunni Insurgency which is against Iranian influence of Iraq. The Iraqi Govt. which the US supports has accepted a $Billion loan from Iran. Al Sadr and his some 65,000 supporters who want the US and it's allies out of Iraq are part of the Dawa Party of the Iraqi Govt. Will Saudi Troops be aiding the Sunni Insurgents?

[newyawker99]

16. Hi alofarabia!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

17. Just more "birth pangs of a new Middle East" that Condi told us about.

Probably the only birth ever in which the patient and doctor suffer.