This column is an attempt to provide a running narrative of the Middle East.
It will tell the news behind the news, including what the mainstream media has
missed, especially because of its lack of knowledge of history.
Obama Says Iran-Israel Nuke Deal Is Only a 50/50 Chance
It is amazing that
even though this is a low-probability, it has been talked about for a
year. It has been the speculative
centerpiece of the Obama administration (like its domestic centerpiece the
Obamacare website. It is not just that
the talk about this deal causes disruption in all foreign policy, but also that
if it isn't realized the administration will look like fools.
Second, who has been an ally 75 years and who has been an agent of state
terrorism?! Vice President Joe Biden said, “The U.S. should make sure the
Iranians don’t violate the agreement and build nuclear weapons.” Why is the United
States going to do something like bombing them?
By the way, does
anyone know how much money the cutting of sanctions is going to yield Iran?
According to sources, it is at least 20 billion dollars. How many billion
pieces of silver is the West going to get for possibly letting Iran get nuclear
weapons?
Pakistan/Afghanistan
Hagel Visits Pakistan
U.S. Secretary of Defense
Chuck Hagel visited Pakistan last week, with Afghanistan's stalled peace
process the main agenda item--given the strained relations between Washington
and Islamabad.
In Washington, Obama
had previously told Karzai to make friends with the Taliban. Why if you want to
make friends do you keep fighting them? Karzai said openly that he was angry;
he would rather push the United States out of Afghanistan--than end with his
head put up on a pole. No wonder Karzai
says he no longer trusts the United States.
Islamic
Parties in Pakistan Are Blocking NATO Supplies
If you think that the U.S.
supports “moderate” Islamists, look again. In fact, anyone who wants to know
can read in the newspaper that support for Islamism is like Gresham’s
law. In other words, as a coinage “bad Islamism drives out relatively moderate
Islamism.”
For
example, Pakistani
Islamist groups are trying to block NATO supplies. Why?
- If NATO supplies fight against radicals then that’s a bad thing. It is better not to have NATO supplies if it strengthens the current government (or other more moderate factions).
- Islamists want to promote anti-Americanism and to forget that the U.S. gives Pakistan billions in aid. They want to promote an anti-Christian attitude. Isn't all this obvious?
- Anti-Westernism weakens the Pakistani government.
- It is in line with Islamist ideology
Here is what the Egyptian author
and business man Tarek Heggy said, "Egypt now needs to reexamine its relations with the U.S. …Nations
with honor do not accept aid that is provided in such a manner… this aid
benefits the U.S. much more than it benefits Egypt."
He isn’t exaggerating. He views the United States as acting
like “cowboys.” First the U.S. supported Gamal Nasser, then Sadat, then Mubarak, then the Muslim
Brotherhood--giving
no perception or care of Egyptian interests. Now the United States doesn’t care
if the military regime runs the country.
Excerpt
from Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations
A
decade is a long time in the Middle East. If it weren’t so serious, it would be
a laugh. The United
States initially said it wanted to have a 15-year Israeli army presence in the West
Bank.
Supposedly,
Abbas rejected any Israeli presence and offered a 10-year American presence,
and it seems that Kerry agreed. This is
absolutely ludicrous. This shows how easily the U.S. concedes on Israel’s
strategic presence.
Does anyone
think that the Palestinian Authority is going to hold the territory against
daily attacks from Hamas and Fatah radicals? Do they believe that they are
going to cede one inch of this territory? Do you believe that they’re going to
collaborate secretly on attacks? Do you believe that they are not going to be
overthrown before that from attacks?
The PA says
there will be no agreement with Israel without more prisoner releases. Are we
going to see Kerry demand this? Is the United States going to guarantee, at the
possible cost of war, Palestinian stability? Has anyone in the White House
studied Middle East history? Or is Israel going to have to defend against
cross-border attacks, because--believe it or not--there are going to be
attempts and successes.
Who’s
Leading the Syrian Rebels?
Not
long ago, Secretary of State John Kerry said “moderates” were leaders of the
Syrian rebellion. Now, it is admitted that the Islamist fighters are actually
stealing warehouses on the Turkish-Syrian border. The Free Syrian Army’s
leadership has been taken over. This “moderate” force has no connection. The
power is with the Islamic front, not the Free Syrian army.
In
the latest development, the U.S. military officers had to admit that the
leaders of the Free Syrian army had to flee back into Turkey.
You
can imagine why the Syrian Rebel Islamists don't like or trust the
"moderates." These moderates are officers who defected from the
Syrian army. While they may be professional military men, they are former men
of Asad. You see, the U.S. and Britain are supporting the last people that are
really moderate or may be susceptible to the Islamists. These are people from a
regime that was killing them and fighting them for years.
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