money talks

We’re All Still Dependent on Saudi Arabia

Reports of the foiled Chicago bomb plot offer a reminder of America’s dysfunctional relationship with the Saudis. Their billions in oil funding and commitment to theocracy may have caused this whole terror mess, but without them, American and British security officials would not have received that “eleventh-hour tip” that allowed authorities to identify two of the bombs.

The Times noted yesterday that things have changed from past years, and there does seem to be a commitment by the Saudi security services to keep the chaos in their southern neighbor of Yemen from spilling over. The fact that they are excellent Big Brothers helps: “The streets of major Saudi cities are continuously watched by cameras, and most Internet traffic goes through a central point that facilitates monitoring.”

They’re such perfect allies; their plutocrats don’t even want to build mosques near ground zero!

Bomb Plot Shows Key Role Played by Intelligence [NYT]

We’re All Still Dependent on Saudi Arabia