Reddit reviews Thicker Than Oil: America's Uneasy Partnership with Saudi Arabia

For anyone who is interested in reading about the background of the relationship between The United States and Saudi Arabia, there is a great book called "Thicker Than Oil: America's Uneasy Partnership With Saudi Arabia".

http://www.amazon.com/Thicker-Than-Oil-Americas-Partnership/dp/0195367057

Beyond oil, the United States has a lot riding on its close relationship with Saudi Arabia, particularly a common "adversary" in Iran, and it (Saudi Arabia) being a relatively stable regime in the Middle East. The book highlights the importance of Saudi Arabia's deeply religious state, which was important for the United States to support, as it was a means to oppose "Godless Communism" in the Soviet Union at the time (when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan). The author delves into why this (importance of religion in Saudi Arabia) is obviously less important now than it used to be (for the United States), and why the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia needs to be reassessed.

While it was difficult for me to pick up on what might actually be hidden in those 28 pages, it sounds as though it may be strong evidence which would implicate Saudi Arabia in the attacks, even more than they already have been. Perhaps it was not worth it to the United States government to reveal information that would harm relations with a government whom they've long needed the support from, especially given our long-running tensions with Iran.