just like '99, page-11

Hi MMM

I started reading your posts with interest from the start. Good quality stuff.

You are quite correct that my 'history' is a little potted. The relationship with the House of Saud starts straight after WW2 from memory.

I completely agree the politics of Oil is at the heart of the Mid East nightmare.

I am not saying that Gold is the reason for problems. But I am linking the exit of the US from the gold standard to the creation of the Petrodollar. The Petrodollar goes on to become the cornerstone of the US financial infrastructure, which in turn magnifies the politics of oil.

In the absence of the Petrodollar, the US would probably have done whatever deals they needed to do with whomever was the successful political victor. The need for them to entrench their military so deeply in the Mid East might have been less pressing [I say might because this all occurs in the context of the 'Cold War' so who can know for certain?].

Certainly, the installation of the Shah was another travesty. His secret police [Savak, trained by the CIA] terrorized the Iranian population. It is all exceedingly saddening.

As far as Saddam is concerned .... it is nicely encapsulated by that famous quote by a US official which runs something like .... "He might be a son of a bitch, but he is our son of a bitch". It kind of sums up the overall tone of the US foreign policy regards the Mid East.