Saudi Arabia has just had its own St. Valentine’s Day Massacre — a bloodless one that brings hope of much-needed reform. On February 14, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah carried out a sweeping shake up of his cabinet and government. He replaced several of the government’s top Wahhabi ideologues with others thought to be more religiously tolerant, reform-minded, and with close working ties to the king. If there is any truth in the adage “personnel is policy”, this may be the first real sign that the King, who ascended to the throne in 2005, intends to live up to his long-term but, until now, overblown reputation as a reformer. While nothing is certain, this gives hope that Saudi Arabia may finally be ready to adjust peacefully to a globalized, pluralistic modern world. And, with Saudi Arabia’s disproportionate and distorting impact on Sunni Islam worldwide, this gives hope also for American security interests.