The message Saudi Arabia is sending is that they are the main backers of ISIS and sectarian Islamic terror in general.
While the Royal family try to distance themselves the stench is still on them.
The west and in particular the USA is in full head in sand mode trying to defend Saudi Arabia and Turkey for that matter.

I think the too rich and too powerful Saudis are sending an unmistakable strong man, I can do as you do message, that those in her region actually respect, hands off and thus far and no farther or else?
Rhrosty.

Alon, what a shame that you have not been Obama's adviser over the last several years. His lack of understanding of, and preference for disengagement from, the Middle East have contributed to a much more dangerous situation than seemed likely before his 2009 Cairo speech sold the pass.

Well, if they are so busy getting at each other they will have less
time to devote to getting at the "west".
Let them have a go, it will clear the air and hopefully impoverish them.
Saudi Arabia is now at the start of the downside of peak oil.
Iran would like to reimpose the Persian Empire on the middle east.
Egypt is fast becoming the very poor man of the Middle East.
All in all a very inflammable mix.

Hi Bazz,

Which is probably why Obama has been trying to maintain a balancing act since the Arab 'Spring', to keep the big players apart, their armies away from each other and their fingers off the nuclear button.

The three countries you mention, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Egypt, would all be at each others' throats with the slightest encouragement: they each represent the backward and brutal forces, respectively, of Sunni Islam, Shi'a Islam and secular tyranny.

So what options to the ordinary people, those caught in the middle, and underneath, all of that, have ? How can they avoid being ground into the dirt ? Flight does seem to be the only option.

But the difference between being a migrant and being a refugee is volition: migrants move willingly and are usually prepared to work their arses off, while refugees have usually moved unwillingly, and tend to have a sense of grievance, and even entitlement, wherever they go. Currently, those in Europe may have an inaccurate picture of Europe and their rights there: that they are entitled to whatever 'luxury' they see Europeans enjoying, and entitled to it now.

So an impossible situation is looming.

Joe

Hi Bazz and Joe

Methinks the author is overly US centric in perception and as an advocate of US actions.

As in Afghanistan http://intelnews.org/2016/01/08/01-1841/ the US is gradually dropping in power to influence Middle Eastern - Iranian affairs. At the same time Russia's less ambivalent stance means Russia is gaining in influence. China, being more dependent of Mid East/Iranian oil, is also a rising force behind the scenes.

It was China, after all, that supplied the Saudis with ballistic missiles http://gentleseas.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/saudi-ballistic-missiles-nuclear.html - something the US refused to do. The author ignores 2 decades of Saudi financial assistance to Pakistan's nuclear weapons program - with the Saudis expecting Pakistani warhead help when its needed.

The author needs to realise that international relations doesn't rely on the (in)activity of Obama-Kerry foreign polcy.

Regards

Pete

I haven't a clue what should be done with the middle east.
They are damned by their damaged genome, their religion, and their
inability to compromise,and from now on their declining wealth.

The rest of the world will have declining wealth but it will be worse
in the middle east and they will have to try and find the best men
and women they have to put the region onto a sustainable path.
The decline in middle east oil production will have a major impact.
However they have a decade or two of affordable oil production.
We all thought the "Arab Spring" was a fundamental shift but it was not
what it seemed. It was nothing but a complaint about declining wealth
and the reduction of food & fuel subsidies.

They were unable to see that the solution had to be in their own hands
and not blame the Israelis, Americans and Europe for their problems.

Hi Bazz,

Yes, I think you are on the mark. One of the problems with rentier economies, i.e. economies which rely on one or very few resources, and divvy out the proceeds to their populations, is that instead of building an economy, it seems that they have simply splurged vast amounts of valuable income, on idiotic Burj towers, Palm islands, etc., instead of putting it into future funds, education funds, etc.

Perhaps, as you might have mentioned, we are talking about tribal societies, especially tribal societies which despised work, labour, and have usually relied on slave or 'guest' labour, at least since the seventh century - and until recently, have had buckets of income to hand around. It's been a sort of ideal situation for rentier societies, bludger societies to put it more precisely: plenty of income, all almost for free, at least it didn't require much effort. Allah be praised.

So now that the revenue is declining, they can blame - who ? Ah yes, the west, capitalism (as if they are not capitalist of the most predatory sort ?), past imperialism, Israel, anything but themselves.

So now, once the dust settles, they will have to work for their livings, whoever is left after the wars. Life is tough.

Joe

Its a fact that Saudi Arabia and Islamic State share the same 'Wahhabist' ideology.
So, as for the Saudi's, when their mouths say they oppose Islamic State, their hearts say otherwise.