The U.S.'s protectees (we can't call them allies) in the Middle East -- Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait among them -- along with Russia and other OPEC + oil producing nations voted yesterday to reduce oil production ostensibly in response to sagging oil prices. The 2 million barrels per day cut will mean higher gas prices here just four weeks before the mid-term elections, which are hinging in large part on inflation costs. It's hard not to think that the timing of the cut was intended to influence the election, as the Saudis and their friends in the region and in Moscow would like a Republican-controlled Congress more friendly to their authoritarian regimes, as was their friend the Malignant Loser.
Representatives Tom Malinowski (D-NJ), Sean Casten (D-IL) and Susan Wild (D-PA) have introduced legislation to remove U.S. troops and air defense systems within 90 days from Saudi Arabia and the UAE in retaliation for their prominent role in the production cutbacks. Malinowski announced the action on his Twitter page:
This is a hostile act by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, designed to hurt the United States and our allies and to help Russia, despite President Biden's overtures.
— Tom Malinowski (@Malinowski) October 6, 2022
I'm introducing legislation with @RepCasten to withdraw our troops from both countries. https://t.co/6x9pC1veir
I see no reason why we should defend a Saudi dictatorship's oil fields if it is using its control of oil markets to tank our economy and help our enemies.
— Tom Malinowski (@Malinowski) October 6, 2022
Our message to MBS should be: "If you want to side with Putin, then ask Putin to defend you. And good luck with that."
As the Newsweek article notes:
"This cut represents some 2 percent of global oil production and it's likely to further harm countries struggling with supply shortages and rising energy prices, especially in Europe. But most of all, this decision will probably help Russia, whose revenues had recently been hurt by the drop in oil prices."(our emphasis)
This move increases the urgency to wean ourselves and our allies off of fossil fuels that are used as weapons by authoritarian regimes against us and other democracies. But until then, we need to make it clear to the Saudis in particular that hostile moves by them will have a reciprocal response.
