Quote:The problem with an oil embargo is that those who put it in place inflict pain on themselves, particularly as the lack of diversified economies in some of those states makes them as dependent on oil revenue as industrial economies are on oil: how long they can put up with the pain is an interesting variable to speculate on.
This is true for governments like the current and past ones in the region. But should a hardcore islamistic government arise in an important oil-exporting state, it´s a different story. These people do not care if they commit economic suicide. They do not care if they completely ruin a country as long as they can establish their religious dictature and cause as much harm as possible to "the two satans". The pain they inflict on themselves and the population in their country will just not interest them a bit.
Moldran
edit: Fixed quote tags