The House committee was told that U.S. concern [about] a Saudi coup appears greater than ever. O’Hanlon said such a coup would also destabilize Pakistan, a nuclear power since 1998 . . . . The United States has raised the prospect of a military invasion of Saudi Arabia.
The House Armed Services Committee considered the possibility of a Saudi coup and U.S. response during a hearing on Oct. 26.
Saudi Arabia, with 200,000 military and National Guard troops, is the largest oil producer and exporter, with an output of nine million barrels of oil per day, according to Middle East Newsline. The Arab kingdom is the third largest supplier of oil to the United States, with more than 1.55 million barrels per day.
The scenario was outlined by Michael O’Hanlon, a senior fellow of the Brookings Institution, who cited a Saudi coup as one of several threats to the United States.
“How should the United States respond if a coup, presumably fundamentalist in nature, overthrows the royal family in Saudi Arabia?” O’Hanlon asked. “Such a result would raise the specter of major disruption to the oil economy.”
The response could include the deployment of three U.S. Army divisions backed by fighter-jets and airborne early-warning and alert aircraft. In all, the U.S.-led mission could include up to 300,000 troops.
Congressional sources said the House hearing, which focused on future threats in the Middle East and other regions, marked increasing U.S. concern of Saudi instability . . . .
The House committee was told that U.S. concern [about] a Saudi coup appears greater than ever. O’Hanlon said such a coup would also destabilize Pakistan, a nuclear power since 1998 . . . .
“Indeed, it might be feasible not to do anything at first, and hope that the new regime gradually realized the benefits of reintegrating Saudi Arabia at least partially into the global oil economy,” O’Hanlon said. “But in the end the United States and other western countries might consider using force.” Read More>>