US officials are not confident that "an acceptable compromise" is within reach in the Saudi-Bahraini boiler ...

"...the time spent on the budget debate has consequences for foreign policy co-ordination. Obama’s top advisers, Secretary of State Clinton and Secretary of Defense Gates have sometimes seemed at odds on potential US military action with regard to Libya, with the latter raising serious reservations about the imposition of a no-fly zone and winning the argument. While some foreign policy experts have urged military intervention in Libya, our contacts at the White House and Pentagon tell us that the US will remain very cautious. Any action will, we understand, be humanitarian in nature and will only take place in close cooperation with allies and outside Libya’s borders.

Out of the headlines, US officials are more concerned about Bahrain and the possibility that Saudi Arabia might intervene in support of the Khalifa monarchy. Efforts are underway to steer the parties toward an acceptable compromise. US officials are not confident that this is within reach. Beyond the Middle East, the Pentagon sees substantial risks ahead in an intensification of fighting in Afghanistan. In private, US officers are noticeably less optimistic than the public briefings, citing the difficulty of sustaining gains in the face of the Taliban’s continuing ability to open new fronts. The Administration’s advantage in this debate is that the war attracts little public interest, let alone controversy ..."