Hamas Putsch Indeed Irrelevant

Submitted by Lonely in Kabul (United States), Jun 19, 2007 at 14:05

The Muslim Brotherhood front group Hamas has probably dug its own grave. Running an underground terror network is not particularly difficult, running a successful government is. Hamas is not up for the challenge. Expect their popularity amongst Palestinians to wane as the Gazan economy further deteriorates under the reign of the bearded politburo.

Attention deserves to be focused on a resurgent OPEC oil market corner. Saudi Arabian power dynamics have clearly shifted to favor a confrontationalist stance vis-a-viz oil production.

Hawkish foreign policy circles in US/Israel are currently being hoodwinked by a Saudi-led coalition of oil dictators which is tacitly encouraging US strikes on Iran. Oil price spikes stemming from a conflict with Iran stand to precipitate a torrent of revenue for these Arab oil dictators, with the added bonus of destabilizing the power center of their historical nemesis.

These oil dictators harbor a nostalgia for the era of the Arab oil embargo and are obviously prepared to take maximum advantage of any large scale conflict to attempt an Act Two.

Both Hamas and Fatah are now widely recognized as corrupt and treacherous. However, the spectre of Hamas and Fatah subjugated to Saudi influence in a unified PA does pose a significant problem to Israel. The Mecca accord signed in February failed, but just as it came as a surprise to many, a future agreement may well surprise again.

Attacking Gaza or Lebanon or Syria perhaps seems to be in the interest of Israel, but in truth any military action puts the current relative stability in jeopardy, playing into the hands of the Arab oil dictators. The oil price is the preeminent concern for all sides.

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