[koepked]

For the establishment, when it comes to secular vs. theocratic regimes, the the key factor is not whether the regime is secular/theocratic or really any other type. The key factor is how is this or that regime going to help get cheap energy into the US's hands. They can talk a good game about promoting secular democratic governments in the world, and they have to talk that game, because it's the only quasilegitimate game they can talk, but it's often a lot easier to buy oil from a dictator. If the dictator doesn't want to play ball, they can campaign for regime change, in the name of democracy.