I don't think they necessarily have to be powerful as much as they have to have the means. At present, two countries off the top of my head that do are Saudi Ar

I don't think they necessarily have to be powerful as much as they have to have the means. At present, two countries off the top of my head that do are Saudi Arabia and Israel. The latter has enjoyed a direct diplomatic line to the US president (no matter who), but I'm not sure what they'd gain. The former has gifted candidates on both sides of the isle with various odds and ends for years, and in spite of their own local economic problems, they have a keen interest in US politics as well. They might stand to gain more in the short term, but it seems like an unnecessary long term gamble. There's a conspiracy that's been floated for a few years and is resurfacing that the Saudis and Qataris have been pushing for a pipeline from Qatar to Turkey via Syria, and Assad has been a thorn in their side preventing diplomatic means to get it done. But there's also sound arguments against this [1], although the source I found suggests that this is directly tied to US access to bases in the area (possible) and thus aligning with SA, Qatar, and Turkey (perhaps in opposition to Russia/Iran/Syria). I'm not sure anyone really knows what's going on at this point. If I had to guess, it probably ties into everything from oil to archaic alliances dating to the Cold War and even military expenditures. The Israelis may have a part to play in all this, too, but in my mind, I don't see what benefit they'd gain by continuing to destabilize the entire region. Then again, I guess you could argue the same point for every other actor, and perhaps there's an advantage behind encouraging your adversaries to go for each others' throats every few years (dangerous!). Another protracted war in the Mideast is the last thing we need... sigh. (Note: I'm just speculating here based on what I've read over the years and my own opinions and biases. This is probably entirely wrong.) [1] http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/37685-the-war-against-the-assad-regime-is-not-a-pipeline-war http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/37685-the-war-against-the...