Is it me or has someone else read this thing with amazement, where GCC headed by Saudi Arabia, wants to broker a deal to get the Yemeni President Saleh ousted?

Come to think of it, it looks quite hypocritical of the Saudi regime to take a lead in such an initiative, because it sounds ludicrous. By all means, I am in favor of freedom, democracy and dissent and want the people of Yemen to get what they deserve. But one has to question, what about the people of Bahrain, what about the voices of dissent in Saudi Arabia? Some would discard my argument by calling it another “Shia rant” against the Sunni Saudi Arabia and the Bahraini ruling class. For their sake of information, I am a Sunni Muslim. But it is not a Sunni or Shia debate. It is whether what’s good for the goose, why it cannot be good for the gander as well?

The Yemeni uprising is of course an effort inspired by the Tunisian and Egyptian revolution. The Bahraini and Saudi episodes were immediately crushed by their respective regimes. Libyan ordeal may go on till the bitter end. Qaddafi is not merely sticking his neck out unlike Saddam, without a rhyme or reason. There may be other countries aiding him to carry this conflict onwards.

US is caught in this entire Middle Eastern revolution mania, in a rock and a hard place. It has to view its interest first and then tread with caution. It is no secret, that US and Saudis are strong allies, for obvious reasons. The major basis for this long standing and time tested relationship is the supply of oil. 10 years from now, when US dependence on Saudi oil may diminish, due to the fuel efficient or electronic automobiles, this relationship may alter as well.

Until then, let’s keep on waiting and watching this unfolding saga in the Middle East. As many prophecies rightfully suggest, this is where it all started, and this is where it might end, may be very true.

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