I tend to be in agreement with much of what casey dispatch publishes ... this one is out to lunch

the United States has long supported these two nations alongside Saudi Arabia and its allies while Russia shored up Iran, Syria, and those in the opposing group.

bzzt - wrong ... I wonder if this person has ever heard of the Shah and who was Iran's greatest supporter during that reign after the Anglo-Iraninan country could no longer be supported by the strength of the Brits ... the peace treaty of Camp David between Carter Begin and Sadat was meant to stabilize the all important suez canal area and stop the religous fighting of Eqypt and Israel .. remember the tail wags the dog when it comes to Israeli, American relations ... can Barry say bow wow.

But there is one force that is more powerful in the pulsing Middle East than even religion: energy.

bzzzt - wrong ... religion is the opiate of the masses, energy merely supplies governments witha acatlyst to exploit the masses after they brainwash them.

Why else would one of the world's most conservative Muslim countries - Saudi Arabia - align itself so closely with the United States, a showcase of liberal thought and personal freedom?

Are you kidding me??? Does the house of Saud having military immunity and supported executive authority in exchange for the guarantee of the free flow of its oil to US interests not mean anything to the author?

some of them countries that have avoided or even opposed Israel until now. Russia is leading that pack, having pointedly placed itself at the front of the line of nations wanting to secure a piece of Israel's gas pie

Russia is one of the richest oil producing countries in the world and the export of Natural Gas is not critical to their future ... purely mercenary.

Isarael and the US break-up ... har dee har har.

orgy