Saudi journalist killed and hacked inside Saudi embassy in Istanbul

[GUBU]

We consistently pursue our own interests.  The things people do without the knowledge or approval of washington are not our foreign policy.  Even in that short list of politically unstable relationships the value of the saudi regime becomes apparent.

They don't have to be decent people to be useful, and short of regime change or revolution, they're the people in a position to cut deals.

If you want to see consistent foreign policy in the Middle East look to the UK. In the last 120 yars they've had two goals. Between Jackie Fisher and Suez the goal was to secure oil for the RN. After Suez it has been suck up to the US.

The US by contrast has been the proverbial bull in a china shop, with the direction of policy changing on a whim.