Thought it might be interesting to see the Russian point of view on this. Here's an excerpt.. Trump is pressing KSA to do the ARAMCO ipo offering in NYC.. I don't think that's in their best interests. Also be aware the Saudi Arabia has $100 billion in treasury bills. Lebanon has become tool of Riyadh policy to counter Iran, argues Timothy Ash of BlueBay Second, to the Lebanese, that Iranian dominance in the region — in Iraq, Syria and increasingly in Lebanon — will not be tolerated by regional powers including Saudi Arabia but also Israel. The Lebanese must themselves act to rein in Iranian influence or suffer the consequences. These could include military intervention (most likely by Israel) or financial turmoil, with risks to the fragile banking sector and government debt market if Saudi and Gulf bank deposits get pulled. The Saudis will be warning of the risks of US sanctions against Lebanese banks accused of being a conduit for Hizbollah or Iranian financing. Things could get very bad, very quickly in the Lebanese banking system if Saudi Arabia and the US move fast and in co-ordination, as it is totally dependent on regional deposit flows that maintain a fragile equilibrium in Lebanon’s government debt market, the only means by which astronomic public debt ratios are maintained. Third, to Israel, that Saudi Arabia is losing influence to Iran in the region, and that there is a risk of Iran’s further extending its influence right up to the Israeli border. This seems tantamount to a green light from Saudi for another Israeli military intervention in Lebanon, which this time around would be much larger than its last intervention in 2006. Following that largely failed intervention and Iran’s recent successes in Syria and Iraq, plus Israeli unease over the Iran nuclear deal, I think the Israelis are probably eager for an opportunity to set Iran back a notch. Lebanon looks most likely to be the pressure point. Fourth, to the Trump administration and the US establishment that, while the current US focus might be North Korea and Russia, the threat from Iran remains and is rising. The message will be that the Iran nuclear deal is failing and has been seen as a green light by Tehran for an aggressive and expansionist policy in the region, and that the US needs to return to old, tried and tested relationships, with Israel and Saudi Arabia as the cornerstone US allies in the region The crown prince’s reform plan is meant to make US re-engagement with Saudi Arabia easier. He is offering a reform vision for Saudi Arabia and a reform vision for Islam, to counter the risks of religious extremism. His economic reform strategy also offers the prospect of huge business and military deals with Saudi Arabia — playing to Donald Trump’s jobs agenda. But for the crown price, the US has to reverse the Obama administration’s dalliance with Iran and come back to the Saudi fold. This also means recognising Saudi Arabia’s regional hegemony, pulling backing away from Qatar and rival models of governance in the region. This requires the US to pressure the Qataris, Omanis, Iraqis and even Turks to align behind Saudi Arabia and spurn ties with Iran. I think the chances of a direct Saudi-Iranian conflict in the region are limited at this stage as the crown prince’s focus surely is on revamping the Saudi economy and ensuring his final control of the levers of power. continued https://www.ft.com/content/bddca596-c485-11e7-a1d2-6786f39ef675
France's Macron Says Received No Request to Host Ex-Lebanese ... U.S. News & World Report-2 hours ago ... said on Thursday he had informal contacts with former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, but there had been no request to transfer him ... https://www.usnews.com/news/world/a...quest-to-host-ex-lebanese-pm-hariri-in-france Wonder why the Russian news outlets have lied about this?
Lebanese Prime Minister Leaves Saudi Arabia, Dispelling Rumors He Was Being Held Hariri’s abrupt resignation places Lebanon at the forefront of the rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia https://www.wsj.com/articles/lebanese-prime-minister-saad-hariri-leaves-saudi-arabia-1510063771
