In recent years, the windfall revenues flowing to the oil-exporting nations of the Persian Gulf have translated into an opportunity for the Islamists who dominate their societies to enlist the West's leading financial institutions as partners in promoting Shariah finance.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Shariah's Trojan horse

But even more pertinent is the huge variation in their national interests, between those such as low-lying small islands that may literally cease to exist as nations as the sea level rises, and the oil-producing states of the Persian Gulf and Opec for whom the priority is to keep the oil and gas flowing.

BBC: Climate: Fractures in the lobby?

The U.S. may continue to use oil from Canada, Venezuela and other nearby countries if prices are competitive, but the IEA predicts Asian nations will end up consuming 90% of the oil produced in the Persian Gulf.

FORBES: What Happens When America No Longer Needs Middle East Oil?

Rice told reporters she and Card decided to ask Clarke to take domestic precautions even though "all the intelligence pointed to overseas attacks, " including the Persian Gulf region, Israel and at the G-8 summit of major industrialized nations that summer in Genoa, Italy.

CNN: Rice forcefully rebuts Clarke testimony

By evading U.N. sanctions and frustrating arms inspections since the 1991 Persian Gulf War, Saddam poses "exactly the kind of aggressive threat the United Nations was born to confront, " he said.

CNN: Bush: U.S. will move on Iraq if U.N. won't

Around the world, we need you to partner with other nations to secure their ports, protect the vital shipping lanes of the Persian Gulf, combat piracy off the Horn of Africa, and help train foreign partners from the Americas to Africa to Asia.

WHITEHOUSE: U.S. Coast Guard Academy Commencement

Kathmandu, Nepal (CNN) -- Nepal has banned women under the age of 30 from working in Persian Gulf nations amid increasing concerns over abuse and exploitation.

CNN: Nepal bans women under 30 from working in Gulf states

For these reasons, we should be especially wary of the purported silver-lining to the current Wall Street crisis: the infusion of vast quantities of petro-dollars, primarily from OPEC's Saudi Arabia and other Islamist nations in the Persian Gulf.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Into the fire

Persian Gulf nations, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia, have talked of arming fledgling rebel forces against the much stronger Syrian military.

CNN: Military options for Syria considered if crisis worsens