Quiz Time: Fill in the Blanks

This morning Peter Kenyon is covering an arms merchants fair in Abu Dhabi.

Just so we'll know where this story is going Renee Montagne sets up the story: "Gulf states led by Saudi Arabia will be on a buying spree, fueled in part say analysts by fears about the growing influence in the region of _________________. "

Peter Kenyon picks it right up with "...Gulf States driven to come here by two factors: treasuries bulging with petroleum wealth, and fear that _________________’s interventionist policies won’t end with Iraq, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories...."

All right students, write in the name of one country to make the statements true. Your choices are a) the United States, b) Israel, or c) Iran. Don't rush the answer; remember that since WWII one country has intervened overtly and covertly in the Middle East over and over again, one country has launched several invasions and waged a brutal occupation for forty years, and the other country hasn't aggressively invaded anyone for over a century.

If you filled in country a or b, it's because you mistakenly based your answer on historical evidence. But if you rely on US propaganda then, like NPR, you opted for country c - Iran!

One point on which I could agree with Peter Kenyon was his statement that "at this point in the twenty first century death and destruction are very big business" although he conveniently doesn't mention who the 800 lb gorilla in the global business of death and destruction is. It's obviously click here for clues.