What can the US do to prevent a potential uncontrollable catastrophe in the Persian Gulf? The US must stop pandering to al-Saud wishes in Bahrain and elsewhere. If the US administration is seen as accepting Saudi and Bahraini repression while taking a stand against repression elsewhere in the region, then it will loose the last shred of credibility it may still enjoy in that part of the world. The US must be tough with the al-Sauds as never before and force them to allow the Shia in Bahrain to gain their legitimate rights and to afford equal rights to their own Shia Muslims. Hopefully, the recent visit of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to King Abdullah and the presidential letter delivered by National Security Advisor Thomas Donilon conveyed such a message and not the one that we have become accustomed to—pandering to al-Saud wishes for “access” to oil that we pay for. The US cannot afford to turn its back on the Shia in the Persian Gulf. This is one of those times in history when the US must connect all the dots before choosing its policy course.