..the USA doesn't do the bidding of Saudi, I really hate to break it to you. It truly is the other way around. The Saudi's and their leaders are highly corrupt and are not effective in directing countries. The thing they are best at is directing money into their bank accounts.

Now, the above scenario for Syria is highly likely minus China/Russia. It has been highlighted by Iran's news media as a potential route into Syria (chemical weapons used by rebels instead of Assad).

China engaging in WW3? I doubt it. I personally think Syria will be taken down and Iran will cut a "surprise" deal with the USA allowing it to engage in nuclear energy monitored by the USA and NATO. No one wants war with Iran, not even Israel if the USA is not involved.

Syria has nuclear power. The West has no problem with nuclear power in the middle east. The West has a problem with countries not integrating into the global system. The only integration from Iran is for a select few that are within the "elite" of Iran which they use to extract money from providing basic services to their people.

The West's issue is not that the people at the top are extracting, but that they are not allowing the people to benefit. If Tehran had an open economy or were friendly to the USA as opposed to hostile, this would not be happening.

These last few hold outs to open globalization are being forced to open, just like Commodore Perry did with the Japanese.