Beggars banquet

Not even a personal supplication by U.S. President George W. Bush could move Saudi Arabia's leaders to increase production to force down the price of crude oil, which has led U.S. prices to rise above $4 a gallon for the first time. Today's rebuff was the second time Bush's entreaties were rejected by the kingdom, which sits atop the world's largest proven oil reserves. The Saudis reportedly told Bush that they were meeting world demand and did not need to pump more oil, according to the Associated Press. But what was Bush thinking in making the trip in the first place? If you owned a commodity and could sell it for, say, $127 a barrel, would you sell it for $99 or $50 or $18, just because someone asked you to? Not likely. So, what was the trip really about? Little noticed in the red-carpet welcome afforded the U.S. delegation was a deal to assist the Saudi government develop civilian nuclear power. Just like with Iran, why would a nation sitting on major oil reserves need nuclear power? They wouldn't, and are using the cover of civilian nuclear energy generation to hasten their development of nuclear weapons. All nations want to join the still-exclusive nuclear club, and Arab nations, in particular, want the technology to threaten Israel.