 And many of us think that all that should matter is what our interest is at stake. But precisely because we treat all of our alliances as tests of our credibility, we open the door to someone testing it. Another worry is the Biden administration mixing ulterior rationales into its quasi alliances. For example, it wants a pact with the Saudis, not only to deter Iran, but to keep China away and to pressure the Israelis and to start working towards a Palestinian state in return for a detente with the Saudis.