Still wouldn’t they have gained a huge amount of geopolitical power by attacking and taking control of the Saudi Arabian oil fields. Would that not be a huge incentive for them to bring “democracy” to Saudi Arabia?
I just don’t get why they would hold back on Saudi Arabia if this was true. Bush\Cheney\Rumsfield were a blood thirsty bunch
I'm no expert on but I'd imagine the gains from invading would be pretty negligible.
Leaving aside the hundreds of billions of Saudi investment that would disappear, the US already gets preferential rates on Saudi oil, so any further saving would be wiped out by the cost of an invasion & occupation. In addition, there's no chance they'd get international support because the fall out would likely throw the global economy into chaos.
They'd also lose a major ally in the middle east while turning every Muslim alive into their mortal enemy as they watch US troops patrolling mecca.
They might be blood thirsty, but they're not babbling insane fools.
Much better to maintain the benefits of the status quo, even if it means once in a while quietly shepherding a few dozen Saudi dignitaries out of the country in a serious hurry after a major terrorist attack.
