Could Saudi Arabia and Iran Soon Engage in a Nuclear Cold War?

The controversy surrounding Iran’s nuclear program has one very important international dimension: What happens if Saudi Arabia carries out its assertion of going nuclear in response to Iran itself going nuclear? The implications are serious, because there would be little the West can do to affect the policy behaviour of a rich, oil-exporting country, let alone how it chooses to approach its relations with Iran.

For the wider region, a nuclear Iran and Saudi Arabia will certainly make Iraq, Syria, or Turkey think really hard about their relative positions. Already, Turkey is investing into building nuclear power stations, and this may translate into the militarization of nuclear energy within a decade.

http://www.policymic.com/articles/4181/could-saudi-arabia-and-iran-soon-engage-in-a-nuclear-cold-war

Oil and geopolitics: a turbulent year, and no end in sight

Kazakhstan unrest — violence in the western city of Zhanaozen in which some 14 protesting oil workers were killed — caps an extraordinarily turbulent year in the world’s oil regions.

The distribution of power has been shaken up in the Magreb countries of Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, and violence continues to threaten the rulers of Syria and Yemen.

Saudi Arabia is spending some $130 billion to stave off its own public dissatisfaction.

In Russia, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s seemingly unassailable hold on power has been challenged by a botched decision to return to the Kremlin, and a rigged parliamentary election.

All in all, the uprisings have helped to push annual average oil prices to their highest level in history, exceeding $100 a barrel.

Look for the global turbulence to continue well into next year… good analysis at the URL:

http://oilandglory.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/12/22/oil_and_geopolitics_a_turbulent_year_and_no_end_in_sight

This week’s eyewitness video of police killing and beating of protesting Kazakhstan oil workers

An enlightened regime in Saudi Arabia?