Nous nous en faisions l’écho déjà, il y a plus de 2 semaines, l’information ayant été communiquée via le Washington Post. C’est désormais le New-York Times qui ressort le dossier.
« L’Arabie Saoudite a fait savoir à l’administration Bush qu’en cas de retrait des troupes américaines le royaume pourrait apporter un soutien financier aux sunnites en Irak dans n’importe quel conflit qui les opposerait aux chiites », rapporte le New York Times en citant, sans les nommer, des diplomates américains et arabes.
Ce qu’oublie tout de même de mentionner la presse américaine, c’est que l’Arabie saoudite avait déjà démenti début décembre faire sienne une telle position suite aux propos de son conseiller à la sécurité du gouvernement.
I
Il faut tout de même aller sur la presse australienne pour avoir la depeche AFP sur le démenti saoudien
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Saudi Arabia denies Iraq intervention
From correspondents in Riyadh
December 03, 2006
SAUDI Arabia today denied it was ready to launch a « massive » intervention to help Iraq’s minority Sunni Muslims against Iran-backed Shiite attacks if the US pulls out its troops.
On en reparle tout de suite :
Saudia Arabia, Oil Prices, and Iran
by LordDilly
The recent fall of oil prices may mean more than just lower prices at the gas pump. Oil traders believe that Saudi Arabia may be helping the U.S. destabilize Iran’s economy by driving the price of oil down.
Iran is OPEC’s second largest oil producer, but doesn’t have the technology required to refine oil, and has to import 40% of its gasoline, making it the second largest gas importer behind the United States. Iranian oil is also more difficult to extract than Saudi oil; it costs Iran $15-18 per barrel compared to $2-3 for Saudi Arabia to get out of the ground and to market. Adding to Iran’s difficulties is the lack of up-to-date exploration and drilling equipment which will make it even more expensive, if not impossible, to extract oil in the long run if prices continue to fall.
Iran’s current economy is also having difficulty, with inflation officially running at 17% and unemployment at 11%, although U.S. intelligence believes the figures could be much higher. In addition to economic troubles, Iran’s current president, Ahmadinejad faces increasing unpopularity at home after being unable to fulfill campaign promises that he would end corruption and better distribute the nation