Follow the Bouncing Bahrain...

While the headlines are focusing lately on Libya, and to a lesser extend, Jordan, Lebanon, et al, the most significant country in terms of the immediate impact on the United States, and indeed the rest of the world, is Bahrain.

Why? Simple geography.

A little background. Bahrain is an island in the Straits of Hormuz. It lies closer to Saudi Arabia and is ruled by a Sunni minority. The Saudis, in case you don't know, are Sunni.

Immediately on the other side of the Strait is Iran, a Shiite country, and the Saudi's main rival (more on Iran, and the President's bizarre machinations in the next post).

There is perhaps more Sunni - Shiite antagonism than there is anti Americanism in the Middle East.

Iran is clearly demonstrating exactly what I have been writing about, nay, practically screaming about, for the last 3 years, their attempt to become not just a regional super power, but a global one.

Their sphere of domination now runs almost all the way through the Middle East (and the President's removing of US Battleships in the Mediterranean for the first time in 31 years - the unannounced reason the Iranians were allowed to send their ships through the Suez - is a major reason for this) stopping only in Saudi Arabia, Israel, Egypt - though less today than yesterday, and to a smaller extent, the Emirates.

I mentioned before the Sunni minority in Bahrain. That means there is a Shiite majority.

If the shiites that are now agitating there, have there way, it will mean that Iran will be in full control of the Straits. And thus, the transport of most of the oil in the Middle East, including the Saudis.

If this happens, we are looking at $10/gallon gas. Not to mention the full control of the Middle East by the Shiite minority and the new Iranian empire.

Follow the bouncing Bahrain. It holds the key.