http://www.forbes.com/...
Above is a link to a German report that says the Saudis have a secret nuke program underway.
I'm struggling to sort this one out. How do US planners react? My gut reaction is that it would freak them out. The US-Saudi relationship is complex and I don't pretend to be an expert, but it exists through a combination of oil supply, access and control, weapons trading to prop up the House of Saud and US corporations, petrodollars propping up our currency and Wall St bonuses, and various legal bribes to the favored causes of US politicians. In other words, its a cycle of interdependency.
This nuke story would seem to break one end of the cycle; allowing the Saudis to defend themselves. Yet it may not be that simple, since the major threat to Saudi security is from within, not some invading force. This makes me wonder just why they would pursue the program. Is it in response to the Iranians? The Israelis? Probably both. It would certainly seem to indicate a breaking down of the old order where the US guaranteed security in exchange for oil access. They must be feeling insecure about our ability to hold things together as this order fragments, eastern powers rise and our power wanes.
Further, planners will certainly be nervous, as they are in Pakistan, that an internal fundementalist coup could one day topple the House of Saud leaving Islamists in charge of the largest reserves of oil AND a nuclear arsenal. This is a completely unnacceptable scenario that the US will do anything to stop, and I do mean anything.
What will they do about it? What can they do? As we see in Iran the problem is difficult even with a declared enemy much less a supposed friend. What will the Israelis think and how does that play in to the politics here?
Lots of questions. Would love to get a discussion going.