Much like Woodrow Wilson, who won re-election on the promise to keep America out of war, so, too, did Donald Trump. And just like Wilson, no sooner had Trump won the election than he began beating the drums of war. Wilson took the U.S. into the First World War. Trump is making all of the overtures of taking us into the Third World War.And:It is more than obvious that Trump is itching for a war with Iran and Syria.[1]
As of now, we are observing a kind of a stand-still in Syria, filled mostly with local events that are more tactical in nature. This includes the liquidation of militant enclaves in Eastern Ghouta, East Qalamoun, Yarmouk, and Al-Rastan. This pause is most likely taken to allow for preparations ahead of the next phase of this war, in which Iran will become the main target of a large coalition of Israel, GCC states and a number of other Arab states, and quite possibly Turkey.[2]Notes
[1] "Congress Says 'No' To War With Iran." By Chuck Baldwin, 5/31/18.
[2] "Iran is Fighting Tooth and Nail for Its Positions in Iraq and Syria." By Petr Lvov, Near Eastern Outlook, 5/30/18.
2 comments:
I wouldn't mind >for the average Westerner'. a complete run down on who is Shia and who Sunni, and what that means. I am epecially lost avout Quatar at this time.
Off the top of my head, a Shiite believes that after Mohammad died leadership should have gone to a certain Ali. I think Ali disappeared and the succession flowed to the Sunni side if that's a good way to phrase it. That something that happened so long ago concerns the two factions seems strange as what difference does it make, as a famous person once said.
The Shia have some seriously creepy self flagellation rituals (e.g., beating their heads and bare back with knives on chains or just knives). I am drawing a blank on other differences.
Qatar and Saudi Arabia are Sunni and there are large Shia minorities in Saudi, Yemen, and scattered around elsewhere. Alawites in Syria are a branch of Shiism. Iran is Shia too. It and Syria seem to be more tolerant of non-Muslims and not as enstupidated as the Saudis are with their Salafist masters.
Syrians are very much committed to a non-sectarian society.
There's a major hate fest between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Israel is petrified of Iran. Or says it is. I suspect they moan about Iran not because they fear a military attack from it but because they actually want to have an excuse to have the U.S. do the dirty work of taking on Iran, whereupon Israel will be safe because it has created chaos in all neighboring states. Expansion is also probably on its mind. $10 says Israel will want a buffer zone in SW Syria for their buffer zone in the Golan Heights. Then they'll need to take a chunk of Lebanon to keep Hezbollah on the defensive.
Qatar seems to have the usual Sunni antipathy to the Shia so funds the Sunni monsters and nutcases in Iraq and Syria in a MAJOR way. This aid to the jihadi scum is said to be to prevent Iran from creating a "Shia Crescent" from Iran to the Med. That's nonsense to me. Nonetheless, Qatar hates on Iran supposedly (and it sure puts its money where its mouth is) yet it wants to cooperated with Iran in exploiting and marketing joint gas resources. Thus speaking out of both sides of its mouth.
Qatar seems extremely modern on the surface but the Salafist thing seems to be there under the surface. Don't quote me on that. It may be they just lip it so they won't provoke the Saudis to attack them.
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