middle east shit

[pete]

egypt
there's some heavy demonstrations going on down there today, between the pro-morsi groups and the protesters organized by the military. does anyone know if it's been peaceful or if it got messy?
it's weird to me that the u.s. admin seems to be ok with the military forcing out the democratically-elected leader... we seem to be ultimately more interested in protecting isreal's interests in that region that looking out for the people of egypt, whom we supported during the mubarak days.

syria
even more troubling is our stance on syria:
the use of chemical weapons has been confirmed, with nary a peep from washington. u.n. estimates put the death toll at around 100,000 people, and the humanitarian aid seems to be either paltry, nonexistent, or too little too late depending on the source.

we're increasing military presence in jordan, mostly in an effort to keep israel safe, it seems. but by keeping out of syria doesn't that allow hezbollah's supporters easier access to give them support and keep them alive?

http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/26/world/meast/syria-refugees-child-brides/index.html

 

[pete]

iraq
"At least 30 people were killed in attacks across Iraq on Thursday, police officials said."
"According to a CNN tally, close to 450 people have been killed in Iraq this month."

http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/25/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?
hpt=imi_c2

 

[pete]

Egypt
peaceful sit-in protests to be broken up by military

good times!

 

[VaticanAssassin]

and then they wipe with their hands......

 

[pete]

pakistan

kerry visits, tries to mend ties with pakistan over things like drone strikes, pakistan's support of the taliban in afghanistan, etc.

article here

 

[Busybody]

good to know

you care about MUSLIMS killing EACH OTHER

 

[LiFeNdEaTh]

vote: Paramid

 

[pete]

syria

U.N. inspectors heading to Syria to probe chemical weapons reports

meanwhile, u.s. pledges to aid, assist or arm the opposition forces fighting against al-assad's bloody rule are stalled in the boardroom

article here

 

[pete]

yemen

al queda in yemen isn't exactly folding up their tents (their top 2 guys are still actively converting O2 into CO2) but much of their leadership has been reduced to ashes.

article, if anyone cares

 

[run_silent]

This is me at my most cynical. Really cynical.

I say everyone pulls out let them all kill each other. It seem's like it's what they want to do and then we deal with the last group standing.

 

[BotanyBoy]

eh....looks like business as usual with those animals.


I still say we level it and claim the natural resources as our own.

 

[pete]

it warms my heart knowing you kind souls are out there

 

[run_silent]

it warms my heart knowing you kind souls are out there

Looking at things right now. Has anything worked? What peace process isn't in jeopardy?

The real problem is 3000 years ago someone owned the land. Over the centuries someone else owned the land. Different groups have owned it a one time. They can claim rights to it.

The US helped the problem by propping up dictators. Then came the time when dictators were over thrown and voting became possible. All the administrations said it was a good thing. The US didn't like those voted in. And here we go again. We continue to meddle there.

What do I mean by meddle? Providing air support and weapons to the next regime that we hope will be on our side.

Again I say let the winner prevail and deal with them. There are too many factions to deal with

 

[BotanyBoy]

Again I say let the winner prevail and deal with them.

Why? Why keep it up?

We should have planted a flag in Baghdad. Comply with us or we will level the joint and take it anyhow. Offer them jobs or a bullet in the head...their choice, but one way or another they WILL behave. Sounds like a win win to me

At least that way we would get SOME return on our investment in Iraq...as it stands it was just a giant worthless money pit.

 

[Joeybagadonuts]

Looking at things right now. Has anything worked? What peace process isn't in jeopardy?

The real problem is 3000 years ago someone owned the land. Over the centuries someone else owned the land. Different groups have owned it a one time. They can claim rights to it.

The US helped the problem by propping up dictators. Then came the time when dictators were over thrown and voting became possible. All the administrations said it was a good thing. The US didn't like those voted in. And here we go again. We continue to meddle there.

What do I mean by meddle? Providing air support and weapons to the next regime that we hope will be on our side.

Again I say let the winner prevail and deal with them. There are too many factions to deal with

Isn't our involvement in the middle east as much about protecting American business interests as it is protecting Israel? Isn't that why my tax dollars go to supporting the largest military in the world?

 

[run_silent]

Isn't our involvement in the middle east as much about protecting American business interests as it is protecting Israel? Isn't that why my tax dollars go to supporting the largest military in the world?

What if fracking and coal makes them unneeded?

Edited to add-

We are walking away from Iraq and Afghanistan because we are just plain tired of the US deaths and the money pits that they are.

 

[Joeybagadonuts]

What if fracking and coal makes them unneeded?

or wind and solar

 

[BotanyBoy]

What if fracking and coal makes them unneeded?

I'm done...later ya'llz

 

[run_silent]

or wind and solar

Maybe someday. I know that in the 50 years I've been alive they were going to solve the energy problem. It would be great if they could be come cost effective but so far no luck. I looked into solar panels for my house. It would take 20 years to break even.

 

[oggbashan]

This weekend is apparently not a good time for US or UK citizens to visit the Middle East or North Africa, especially if they are diplomats.

Warnings have been issued by the US and UK governments that an Al Queda attack is likely. Embassies and Consultates are being closed or placed on high alert status.

http://politix.topix.com/homepage/7308-al-qaeda-prompts-global-terror-alert-21-embassies-to-close

 

[pete]

Egypt

Dozens killed across Egypt as security forces, protesters clash

"Egyptian security forces killed at least 29 people on Wednesday when they moved in to clear a camp of protesters demanding the reinstatement of deposed President Mohamed Mursi, in a dramatic dawn swoop aimed at ending a six-week standoff in Cairo."

 

[pete]

Egypt, again

POV of an egpytian demonstrator (not a member of the MB)

"Now we feel that we are in the darkest days. Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow but the protesters say that they will never give up until we have freedom and victory. We are willing to die for our freedom! The world is our witness."

 

[Sean Renaud]

I'm trying to see why you're so upset about all this Pete.

 

[pete]

I'm trying to see why you're so upset about all this Pete.

people are being killed and driven from their homes, their lands, and not only is no one doing anything about it, but it's barely a blip on the radar of the average american.

there's more going on in the world than just kim k's ass or duck dynasty.

 

[RobDownSouth]

The Egyptian army in 1967 resembled the US Republican party in 2012, they started believing they were invincible and got their asses soundly kicked.

Unfortunately, the Egyptians were sore losers and the Israelis were sore winners, so they were at each others throats for years afterwards. Jimmy Carter got them to put aside their differences in return for billions of dollars in US payoffs, errr, "foreign aid" each year. Mubarek eventually became a totalitarian despot and Bebe Hitlerstein isn't far behind him.

So Mubarek got overthrown and the Muslim Brotherhood reneged on one shit-ton of electoral promises and tried to unilaterally install an ultraconservative religious government a la Dubya. It was, like Dubya, an unmitigated unpopular disaster.

There is no easy solution to this mess.