It is not until the final paragraph that the article addresses the issue of the US propping up the monarchical Saudi government. Reagan was correct in understanding that without American support the Saudi government could fall. Establishing the client relationship between the US and the Saudis would help put these events in context. It also forces a frank discussion about how "making the world safe for democracy" can possibly entail bolstering monarchy. Otherwise, the article was excellent.

Welcome to the site. You are correct when you state without our support the Saudi Kingdom could fail. That royal family stays in power by brutal suppression of all dissent. Torture and brutal execution there is the norm. The vast majority of Arabians there do not like their government and they know who has kept the Sauds in power. If we do not prop up the Sauds, that nation and its oil will be in the hands of people who hate us as much as Bin Laden hates us.

We must either decide to become independent of foriegn oil or we have already decided to bury ourselves in the sands that contain it.