There are two possible explanations. One, the Saudis really are working on nuclear power and the ambassador inadvertently spilled the beans. Possible, but not likely in my estimation.

The second explanation? The Saudis want to send a message both to Iran, and to the United States. To Iran the message is clear: If you get nukes, so will we. In short, its a veiled threat to the Iranians to back off.

As for the Americans, its a threat of a similar but slightly different kind. Essentially the Saudis are telling Bush to get serious about Iran. Cut the crappy rhetoric and posturing, and sit down with the Iranians to negotiate an end to this dispute. If not, the Saudis are telling us in no uncertain terms that they will not just sit passively by and allow their principle rival in the region to obtain the technology needed to produce nuclear weapons. And they are quite aware of the fact that America does not want any nuclear power in the region other than Israel.

The Saudis have tolerated Israel's bomb because they do not see Israel or its military as a threat to their regime. Iran, however, is a horse of another color entirely. There exists in the Kingdom a large minority Shi'ite population which the Saudis would just as soon not see stirred up. Indeed, this is their primary objection to US policy in Iraq: that it has destabilized the region, and set Sunnis against Shi'ites. That process of destabilization and sectarian strife has benefited both the extremist elements within Saudi Arabia, and Iran, the only significant power in the region which is governed by a Shi'a backed regime.

The Saudi Royal Family's worst nightmare is a nuclear armed Iran, which would use that ability to gain incredible influence in the region, influence that would work against the interests of the Saudi government. Indeed, Iran could choose to foment rebellion among Saudi Arabia's own Shi'ite minority. It could also come to dominate the region economically based on its military might. Either result, in turn, would give credibility to those radical groups among the Sunnis who seek the overthrow of the royal family, and its replacement by a fundamentalist, Sunni Islamic Republic.

Finally, the Saudis fear how the Israelis will react should Iran acquire the technology to build nukes. The royal house of Saud has no love lost for Israel, but neither do they wish to see the Israelis taking matters into their own hands by acts of military aggression against Iran. That resulting turmoil would pose a real danger to their regime, as Arab populations around the region would explode in riots and demonstrations demanding a response by their own governments to what they would view as the first shot in a religious war between Islam and the West.

So, no, I don't believe this was an inadvertent mistake by the Saudi ambassador to Kuwait. It was a deliberate, calculated action by the Saudi Royal Family which was intended to make a point to both its friends and adversaries in the region. Whether George Bush or Iranian President Ahmadinejad will take note of it is another question.

Saudi Arabia Nuclear Proliferation Middle East Iran Israel Bush administration foreign policy Saudi Nuclear Research Iran's Nuclear Program Iraq