West Asia News and Discussions (YEMEN, gulf)

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 09 Sep 2015 12:05

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/09/middl ... index.html

al-baghdadi kept 8 yazidi girls in his house, beat them with a hose and belt, raped the american hostage repeatedly, avoids cellphones...

Virupaksha · Post by **Virupaksha** » 09 Sep 2015 12:37

Singha wrote:http://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/09/middl ... index.html

al-baghdadi kept 8 yazidi girls in his house, beat them with a hose and belt, raped the american hostage repeatedly, avoids cellphones...

all according to shariah and caliphate teachings.

Altair · Post by **Altair** » 09 Sep 2015 13:39

Singha wrote:http://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/09/middl ... index.html

al-baghdadi kept 8 yazidi girls in his house, beat them with a hose and belt, raped the american hostage repeatedly, avoids cellphones...

I dont think he has broken any law he believes in. Will Americans let some new reaper drones track this guy to jahannum?

Virupaksha · Post by **Virupaksha** » 09 Sep 2015 15:28

Altair wrote:
Singha wrote:http://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/09/middl ... index.html

al-baghdadi kept 8 yazidi girls in his house, beat them with a hose and belt, raped the american hostage repeatedly, avoids cellphones...
I dont think he has broken any law he believes in. Will Americans let some new reaper drones track this guy to jahannum?

Why would they do it?? Read the 2012 diplomatic messages. They knew that removing Assad requires a very brutal sunni group and created it. They are the ones who are sponsoring it, all they want is there should be no blowback aka 9/11.

Infact I dont think 2012 is a random time. it was in 2011 when osama was killed, i.e. a message was sent that the leaders would be personally targeted if they do any thing like 9/11, i.e. visible limits were set.

All those rest including killings is just popcorn drama.

Forget about their leaders thundering from the pulpits. That is just rhetoric for public consumption.

Look on the ground. Who is actually fighting ISIS? Who is supporting those groups? Who is against those groups?
Three groups are fighting ISIS - Hardest is Assad, Kurds, iraqi shia militia

Who is Assad fighting today??99% ISIS. Who is supporting Assad? Russia. Who is blocking Russia from supporting Assad? US (asking Greece to ban those flights bringing supplies to Assad)

Kurds - WHo is bombing kurds? WHo are kurds fighting today? Turkey, NATO ally of US

iraqi shia militia - need I say more??

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 09 Sep 2015 19:18

Video: Assange on 'US Empire', Assad govt overthrow plans & new book 'The WikiLeaks Files'

kmkraoind · Post by **kmkraoind** » 10 Sep 2015 12:15

Volksbüro ‏@Volksburo

Estonian reporter recognizes #AlQaeda terrorist he interviewed 2 yrs ago among #RefugeesWelcome en route to Germany.

Bhurishrava · Post by **Bhurishrava** » 10 Sep 2015 12:49

There has been a spate of reports about Russian military getting directly involved in combat in Syria.
Russia has denied the reports. Russia says that it has some advisers in Syria and accepts that it supports Assad with materials.

Is this coordinated publicity stunt to convince the American public that Assad is eviler than ISIS. Anyone Russia supports has to be evil according to the people of the genius foreign policy land. If the american public needs convincig, does it mean that they have accepted that ISIS is bigger evil and America must join hands with anyone opposing them?!

http://www.voanews.com/content/us-nato- ... 55043.html

Bhurishrava · Post by **Bhurishrava** » 10 Sep 2015 12:59

I am beginning to like Russia more and more. Their spokespersons are doing a very good job of calling a spade a spade and insulting the jokers in washington while at it.

Russia Accuses U.S. of 'Boorishness' Over Requests to Block Cargo Flights to Syria

http://europe.newsweek.com/russia-accus ... ria-332714

The Russian Foreign Ministry accused the U.S. of "international boorishness" on Wednesday over a request to Greece and Bulgaria to close their airspace to Russian flights to Syria

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 10 Sep 2015 13:10

NATO is training and arming the al-nusra and other fronts to overthrow assad. the gulf states are also doing it.

so what is special about russia helping assad ?

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 10 Sep 2015 19:39

US backs those who want to use terrorists against Assad – Lavrov

http://www.rt.com/news/314945-syria-help-isis-lavrov/

Y. Kanan · Post by **Y. Kanan** » 11 Sep 2015 00:01

Ukraine joins Bulgaria, Greece in blocking Russian overflights to Syria
http://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la- ... story.html

Not surprised the Ukrainians would do this (simply out of spite), but very disappointed in Greece and Bulgaria. What cowards.

Washington is working overtime with the diplomatic pressure, trying desperately to protect their ISIS & Islamist friends.

There's a reason why the US "air campaign" against ISIS has been going on for over a year with absolutely no results. It's because the whole thing is a sham; they're mostly just bombing empty fields and abandoned buildings.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 11 Sep 2015 01:58

IN ships arriving in Saudi Arabia to Exorcise PakiRaticide

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 11 Sep 2015 02:08

Indians in Chahbahar, Chinese in Gwadar, Russia in Syria , Turkey AssErting & Flirting with Caliphate
How long before Piss'm Piss'm trasformed into Dishum Dishum ? Finally the Brit Spit in WA getting washed out and new equations emerging , replacing few old players.Russia in Syria will limit many of Israel's military options.

Jarita · Post by **Jarita** » 11 Sep 2015 08:11

Merkel ki jai ho

https://twitter.com/IraqiSuryani1/statu ... 5104588800

Angela Merkel is trying to be to the ME refugees what Indira Gandhi was to the Bangladesh Refugees.
The parallels are dazzling and so delicious.
Germany = India / solace to refugees
US/UK and their associates = Pakistan & it's associates / villains of the piece and creating chaos
India pop/refugee ratio 1971 = 30
Germany pop/ refugee ration 2015 = 30-35

I wonder if the Germans thought so far. I am sure they thought so far. Will Germany finally intervene militarily. They will have the strongest voice globally on behalf of the beleaguered refugees for sure even if they don't.

This is such a pivotal point. People are looking at trivialities like demographics. Germany provides only 4-5 year asylum visas and are really strict about sending people back. Plus this will not make much of a dent.

Merkel is playing the great game and she is the queen right now. I can imagine the browning of pants that is happening with those who have been cast as villains. The first 5 rounds go to Germany. Der de aaye but bang macha kar aaye

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 11 Sep 2015 09:11

Bridging the Gulf: UAE-India relations have turned a new, exciting corner - Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury, Economic Times

Dubai has been a favourite destination for Indian businessmen and tourists alike. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) houses some 2.6 million Indians who have contributed to the local economy as well as to that of India through remittances.

Yet the oil-rich and strategically located Gulf nation has rarely created the buzz in India as it has of late. The visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the UAE last month, followed by UAE foreign minister Abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan to India earlier this month, is expected to add to the depth of the emerging strategic partnership between Delhi and Abu Dabhi.

While India and UAE have emerged as each other's preferred economic partner, with a trade volume that is expected to grow after a lull, the significant element in bilateral ties is the growing security and defence partnership unimaginable even a decade back. The growing counter-terror cooperation, including information-sharing, has been a shot in arm for India. This was manifested when the UAE unequivocally rejected any link between religion and terrorism during Modi's visit to Abu Dhabi.

The two sides jointly condemned efforts by states to use religion to justify, support and sponsor terrorism against other countries. Delhi and Abu Dabhi also spoke against efforts by countries to give religious and sectarian colour to political issues and disputes, including in West and South Asia.

Even as Pakistan was not named in these assertions, the pointer was obvious. This is a big achievement for India, considering that the UAE has been a traditional partner for Islamabad. The Modi government sensed the opportunity and moved fast to ramp up security ties. Simultaneously, Pakistan's refusal to send troops to Yemen to fight Houthi rebels under the Saudi leadership incurred the UAE's displeasure.

Abu Dabhi, under such circumstances, moved closer to New Delhi, which has the potential to also play a big role in West Asia. The common threat from the Islamic State, too, contributed to the emerging Indo-UAE security paradigm. Concurrently, with India moving closer to Iran, especially after the nuclear deal with the US, to take advantage of Tehran's strategic location, the UAE is understood to have added momentum to its ties with New Delhi to reap the benefits of its strategic location in the Persian Gulf and of its liberal investment policies.

By deciding to elevate the India-UAE relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership, a first between India and any Gulf country, New Delhi and Abu Dabhi will now coordinate efforts to counter radicalisation and the misuse of religion by groups and countries. Given the fact that the UAE was one of the three countries that diplomatically recognised the Taliban government in Afghanistan less than two decades ago, this is an important development.

The UAE has also decided to work towards dismantling terrorism infrastructures and work together with India to control, regulate and share information on the flow of funds that could have a bearing on radicalisation activities. There is also a cooperation framework in place to take action concerned individuals and organisations. A dialogue between the national security advisors and national security councils of both countries will be held every six months. The two sides will also establish points of contact between their security agencies to improve operational cooperation and establish a strategic security dialogue between the two governments, also undertaking joint defence co-production.

India and the UAE, in a unique move, will facilitate regular exchanges of religious scholars and intellectuals to promote religious inclusiveness. Such collaborative steps go on to underline that the UAE is no longer looking at India through the prism of Pakistan. It joins Egypt as yet another country from the region to de-hyphenate its relations with India and Pakistan.

We have to leverage these countries to abstain from voting, even if not oppose, in the usual OIC Kashmir declarations. Not that we care at all about the OIC per se, but we have to isolate Pakistan everywhere and cripple its diplomacy and the use of 'religion card'.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 11 Sep 2015 09:47

Jarita wrote:Will Germany finally intervene militarily.

Are they allowed to have a military? If not, how will this , i.e. German military intervention, come about? As part of NATO yes but then US/UK have a big say in that.

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 11 Sep 2015 09:55

Yup, they have a military... They have been in Afghanistan for a while. I think Singha had posted some pix of their special forces there some time ago.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 11 Sep 2015 10:07

Are their numbers big enough to be able to put boots on the ground in Syria and ISIS occupied bad lands of Iraq?

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 11 Sep 2015 10:28

the heer (german army) is a shadow of its 1980s glory when its level of training, eqpt was 2nd only to the gorilla. but I think they are a bit better off than UK and France and can put 2 mech divisions and 1 airborne brigade + KSK batallion into the field with requisite air support and transport elements if given some 3 months to properly mobilize. they have numbers of the fearsome pzh2000 used in afghanistan also. there were reports of leopard tanks being short of MMG for turret gunner and ppl using broomstick handles in training. they have good kit for mech and mobile warfare - marders, fennecs, dingos, leopards, pzh...

they can fight for sure and rout the ISIS in a stand up fight.

but running heavy logistical tail back to germany by air, sea and road(greece northward) is something only the gorilla can help with.

there is no way in hell they will commit to a unilateral war in syria. and they would have to first depose the assad govt which holds all the coast. the russian port at tartus and airbase in latakia is also there.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 11 Sep 2015 15:35

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoeT4-vmUAk

hungarian police feeding cooped up refugees like chickens in a farm..throwing them feed packets.

whatever were the functioning 'secular' states in the islamic belt - libya, lebanon, syria, iraq have been destroyed by the west over time. now its between the devil and deep sea - the greener than green wahabi warriors on one side and the risks of refugee life on the other.

Jarita · Post by **Jarita** » 11 Sep 2015 18:49

Singha wrote:the heer (german army) is a shadow of its 1980s glory when its level of training, eqpt was 2nd only to the gorilla. but I think they are a bit better off than UK and France and can put 2 mech divisions and 1 airborne brigade + KSK batallion into the field with requisite air support and transport elements if given some 3 months to properly mobilize. they have numbers of the fearsome pzh2000 used in afghanistan also. there were reports of leopard tanks being short of MMG for turret gunner and ppl using broomstick handles in training. they have good kit for mech and mobile warfare - marders, fennecs, dingos, leopards, pzh...

they can fight for sure and rout the ISIS in a stand up fight.

but running heavy logistical tail back to germany by air, sea and road(greece northward) is something only the gorilla can help with.

there is no way in hell they will commit to a unilateral war in syria. and they would have to first depose the assad govt which holds all the coast. the russian port at tartus and airbase in latakia is also there.

But something is afoot for sure. With one swipe Merkel has made the rest of the boys look like cretins and now they are scrambling to do damage control. Even Russia is busy defending themselves.

This is very 1971. Maybe the time horizon is longer but Germany can build an army just out of the refugees

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 11 Sep 2015 19:32

Singha wrote: whatever were the functioning 'secular' states in the islamic belt - libya, lebanon, syria, iraq have been destroyed by the west over time. now its between the devil and deep sea - the greener than green wahabi warriors on one side and the risks of refugee life on the other.

What was the rationale to destroying these "secular" and less virulent strain of Islamic dictators? Libya is Sunni, Lebanon is split between Muslims and Christians; the muslims in turn split between Sunni and Shia. Syria and Iraq have sizeable Shias. The ethnicity is diverese....so why did 'West' (a.k.a America) have the khujli to dismantle these regimes and create chaos?

Altair · Post by **Altair** » 11 Sep 2015 19:53

You ask as if Americans go anywhere with a plan? There is no grand conspiracy or plan. They just make stuff up and create chaos. They do it because American war machine benefits from chaos.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 11 Sep 2015 20:04

So there was still a reason - the Military-Industrial Complex: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military% ... al_complex

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 11 Sep 2015 20:33

all these countries were not overtly western lackeys, some like iraq, lebanon and syria were more close to russia and iran.

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 11 Sep 2015 20:37

Altair wrote:You ask as if Americans go anywhere with a plan? There is no grand conspiracy or plan. They just make stuff up and create chaos. They do it because American war machine benefits from chaos.

There are always four plans.

The Freedom & Democracy Plan - for speeches & PR
The Official Balance of Power Plan - helping allies etc.
The Dirty Plan - for cynics & conspiracy theorists, often to do with grabbing resources, manipulating others
The Chaos Plan - always hidden, but often involves creating chaos for both allies and enemies, so that the need for MIC increases

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 11 Sep 2015 21:02

touche

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 11 Sep 2015 21:05

Singha wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoeT4-vmUAk

hungarian police feeding cooped up refugees like chickens in a farm..throwing them feed packets.
whatever were the functioning 'secular' states in the islamic belt - libya, lebanon, syria, iraq have been destroyed by the west over time. now its between the devil and deep sea - the greener than green wahabi warriors on one side and the risks of refugee life on the other.

So reminiscent of Biruni's description of destruction heaped o India by islamic forces..

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 11 Sep 2015 21:13

GD I had in 2007 on slideshare.net

http://www.slideshare.net/ramana_56/modern-islamism

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 12 Sep 2015 01:31

SwamyG wrote:
Singha wrote: whatever were the functioning 'secular' states in the islamic belt - libya, lebanon, syria, iraq have been destroyed by the west over time. now its between the devil and deep sea - the greener than green wahabi warriors on one side and the risks of refugee life on the other.
What was the rationale to destroying these "secular" and less virulent strain of Islamic dictators? Libya is Sunni, Lebanon is split between Muslims and Christians; the muslims in turn split between Sunni and Shia. Syria and Iraq have sizeable Shias. The ethnicity is diverese....so why did 'West' (a.k.a America) have the khujli to dismantle these regimes and create chaos?

It has to do with destroying russias markets. Europe was told they will have energy security without turkey OR russia holding any keys. Saoodis were told iran will fall when syria goes away. Biden was told his son will be oil and gas king. And so on. Its all a chess match to get to the "stans" first and siberia eventually.

pravula · Post by **pravula** » 12 Sep 2015 01:59

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/12/world ... mecca.html

IZMIR, Turkey — A large construction crane toppled over and crashed into the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca on Friday, killing at least 87 people and raising fears about the safety of the site before the yearly hajj pilgrimage that is expected to bring in millions of visitors to Saudi Arabia this month.

Why is this being filed from Turkey?

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 12 Sep 2015 05:20

Singha wrote:all these countries were not overtly western lackeys, some like iraq, lebanon and syria were more close to russia and iran.

France and India are no lackeys either. Well France has something going for it in terms of race and religion; so it is relatively safe.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 12 Sep 2015 06:26

a huge construction crane has crashed over into the grand mosque courtyard in mecca, packed with hajjis and killed some 107 people by destroying part of the roof

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/least ... ue-n425891

the greedy saudis have been on a highrise construction spree around the grand mosque and even old structures and cemeteries have not been spared.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 12 Sep 2015 06:48

A new Tahrir moment? - Vijay Prashad, The Hindu

Just as the wild furies of sectarianism threaten to tear apart West Asia, massive protests on a civic basis took place in Baghdad and Beirut. In both cities, the populations rose up out of frustration over a lack of basic services and corruption. During the hot summer, power cuts plagued Baghdad, even as garbage piled up on the streets of Beirut. In both Iraq and Lebanon, leaders of various sectarian groups lived comfortable lives in their gated zones. The gap between their lavish existence and the privations suffered by ordinary people sent millions of Iraqis and Lebanese onto the streets. In Baghdad, a banner celebrated the street’s ethics, “From Baghdad to Beirut — Not Sunni, Not Shia. Ours is a Civil State.” This was wishful thinking, but it was nonetheless brought to life in the demonstrations.

In both Iraq and Lebanon, the political elite acknowledged the frustrations of their public. They could not merely send in their security forces. Few leaders sneered at the demands, even if they snubbed the activists. The lack of civic services is a serious problem across West Asia. Extremist organisations know this well. When Islamic State took Raqqa in 2013, one of the first things it did was to secure garbage removal. Ideology is central, but it is meaningless if basic municipal services are absent. Lebanon’s 1989 ceasefire after its civil war was built on the principle of mutual co-existence of the various sects, whose leaders then divided the spoils of the country. Much the same kind of sectarian constitution was created in Iraq during the U.S. occupation. Contracts for power generation, garbage removal, and telecommunications delivery are parcelled out amongst the warlords. Sectarian corruption is rooted in the system. It will not be easy to dislodge.

Embers of a post-sectarian world are not hard to find across West Asia. They are also found in the Syrian refugee camps. Given the nature of the war in Syria, one would expect that the rancid wires of sectarianism would tear apart the fragile sense of Syrian nationality. But this is not the case, as survival is the main objective.

Nonetheless, sectarianism — the cord that divides Sunni from Shia and from other minorities — remains. Arab nationalism of the 1950s and 1960s worked to overcome social divides and unite people around the idea of the Arab. It was a powerful device that held sway for at least a generation. But Arab nationalism threatened Saudi ideas of Islamic royalty, which was itself endangered by the Islamic republicanism of Iran. These geopolitical tangles gave vitality to sectarian anxieties, which had been otherwise dented by Arab nationalism. Tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia are mirrored in the rise of IS, whose hatred is much sharper against the Shia than against the West. No wonder then that Saudi Arabia’s current war against Yemen — which began in late March — continues undaunted, fully loaded with sectarian venom and U.S.-supplied weaponry. There is no talk of a ceasefire there, despite the UN’s plea that the country is already a humanitarian catastrophe. Sectarian geopolitics fuels the Saudi jets in Yemen, as it also fires Riyadh’s antipathy to a peace agreement for Syria. Better, for the Saudis, to drag the Arab world bleeding through the ashes of its capitals than to find a way to dial down the sectarianism.

The ashes of sectarianism

Last week, an ill-fated meeting in Doha hoped to find a way out of the volatility in Iraq. The U.S. occupation had banned the Ba’ath Party and prevented its people from entry into the state bureaucracy. This was a gift to Iran’s proxy in Iraq, the largely Shia Islamic Dawa Party. Honed in their Iranian and Syrian exile, the leadership of the Dawa Party saw the world through the lens of sect and revenge. The banned Ba’ath allowed Dawa and its allies to dominate Iraqi politics, now marked by sectarianism thanks to the U.S.-foisted constitution of 2005. Remnants of the Ba’ath, which had helped IS come to power in Mosul last year, have now broken with their improbable allies. The Qatari government invited the Muslim Brotherhood member of the Iraqi Parliament, Salim al-Jabbouri, to sit down with the illegal Ba’ath leadership and discuss the formation of a new anti-IS Sunni bloc.

Initially backed by the Iraqi government, the meeting was then shunned by Baghdad. Old histories of animosity between the Dawa and the Ba’ath are not easy to overcome. They are saturated with memories of torture. The best outcome of the Doha meeting would nonetheless be far from the civic protests in Baghdad. It would merely be along the lines of sectarianism — a new Sunni bloc to ally with the Dawa Party against IS. The protestors in Baghdad are too suspicious of their government to allow Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi to throw the Dawa behind them. If he is to reclaim a kind of Iraqi nationalism, he will have to do it through the logic of sectarianism. But that road is blocked by the animosity against the Ba’ath from both the Dawa and Iran. Neither is keen to allow the return of their historic enemy.

The failure of the Doha conference says a great deal about the decline of authority of Qatar in the region. Its foreign policy has floundered as that of Saudi Arabia has come to ascendency once more. Saudi King Salman went to Washington during this Doha conference and during the intensification of the Saudi-UAE bombing in Yemen. The main item of discussion was the Iran nuclear deal. Washington is loath to criticise Saudi Arabia for its war in Yemen, which is seen by many as a gift to Riyadh for its tacit support of the nuclear deal. King Salman has suggested to his confidants that once his campaign in Yemen comes to a close, he will put more resources into Syria. But what would those resources seek to do in Syria? Saudi Arabia’s proxy in Syria — Jaish al-Islam — is not as audacious as IS but it is as ruthlessly sectarian. More Saudi involvement would not necessarily mean a drawdown of violence. It could mean precisely the opposite. Saudi Arabia is hell-bent on the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, even if this means the annihilation of Syria.

The militarists’ alternative

If the mass demonstrations provide an alternative (and utopian) path out of sectarianism, older forms of authority provide another roadmap. Saudi Arabia finances Egypt’s government led by Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi, who nonetheless met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, an Assad ally, to consider an anti-IS coalition. Sisi, a man of Egypt’s military, has sympathetic ties to Syria’s military — both are children of the era of Arab nationalism. Fear of the rise of extremism unites them. It confounds the Saudi attempt to keep its allies subservient. Neither Assad nor Sisi carries the promise of Arab nationalism; they are tainted by the ghosts of Daraa and Rabaa. But what draws them together is their antipathy to al-Qaeda and IS. This is the soldiers’ alternative to sectarianism. It is at quite a distance from the mass demonstrations of Baghdad and Beirut, themselves a replica of Cairo’s emblematic uprisings of 2011. In Cairo’s Manshiet Nasser or Beirut’s Ouzai, slumlands of the Global South, hopes vest not so much in “the people want to bring down the regime” as in the people want to survive the wrath of the present. That more radical slogan of Tahrir Square came back to life in Baghdad and Beirut, but it meant less. It registered hope against sectarianism and war {This is very ephemeral because the roots of sectarianism are 1400 years old and the hatred is indelibly imprinted in the DNA of these people}. Today, in West Asia, this is a radical idea.

(Vijay Prashad Director of International Studies at Trinity College, is the Chief Editor at LeftWord Books.)

ldev · Post by **ldev** » 12 Sep 2015 19:17

Migrant Crisis: The Footage the Media Refuses to Broadcast

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 12 Sep 2015 20:21

Heh heh...the gulf Arabs know the true picture so trying to slide away and direct them toward Europe.

As the self styled sword and quila of Islam Pakistan should take in a few lakhs in solidarity

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 12 Sep 2015 22:50

Obama: Russia's involvement in Syria indicates Assad is worried

Translation: Obama's statement on Russian involvement in Syria indicates US is worried

From Russian point of view this makes eminent sense: Instead of backing down on Syria and succumbing to the pressure of Arabs/West in return of letting off the pressure on oil prices, Russia is ensuring Syria won't fall to West/Arabs. In short, this is MAD. Russia will bear the pain of lower oil prices on medium to long term but will make Arabs loses permanent too. This will either create fissures within OPEC or Arabs have to blink and cut production.

US will be in pressure too to increase oil prices soon to make it expensive for the growing economies of India and China. With summer almost over, Ukraine won't be able to contribute to pressure anymore; it will simply be smoked this time by the Russians.

Falijee · Post by **Falijee** » 13 Sep 2015 18:42

Bin -Laden Construction Co. Engineer Denies Technical Fault In Collapse Of Makkah Construction Crane

“Makkah crane collapse was an act of God,” says engineer of Bin Laden Company

RIYADH (Web Desk) – As Saudi Arabian officials have confirmed the death of as many as 107 pilgrims in Makkah crane collapse tragedy, an engineer associated with company involved in construction of the Grand Mosque has claimed that there was no technical mistake behind the accident.

The unnamed engineer associated with Bin Laden Group, which was founded by deceased father of former Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, further said “it was an act of God’. The cranes were installed in a very professional way at Grand Mosque, he added while asking for a thorough inquiry into the tragedy.

Meanwhile Saudi Arabia’s King Salman announced the results of an investigation into why a crane collapsed in the Muslim holy city of Makkah will be made public.

Earlier on Friday night a crane crashed into the Grand Mosque as it was full of pilgrims claiming lives of as many as 107 people and leaving hundreds other injured.

According to Pakistani authorities at least 52 Pakistani pilgrims were also among those injured while they confirmed deaths of other six Pakistani nationals.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 14 Sep 2015 18:23

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=6b6_1371812647

"The war in Syria was planned years in advance, and the motive was to overthrow a regime that Israel regards as hostile, says former French Foreign Minister Roland Dumas. "I met with top British officials, who confessed to me that they were preparing something in Syria," said Dumas in a recent interview with French television LCP. "This operation goes way back. It was prepared, preconceived and organized ..." Responding to a question on the motive behind the war, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives, Dumas said, "Very simple! With the very simple aim! To overthrow the Syrian government, because in the region, it's important to understand, that this Syrian regime has a very anti-Israeli stance. Consequently, everything that moves in the region -- and I have this from the former Israeli prime minister, who told me 'We'll try to get on with our neighboring states, but those who don't get along, we will take them down'."

Just how responsible is are the Western governments for the current mess in Syria?

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 14 Sep 2015 19:02

syria was going to be the next target of the ISIS even without the west and gulf arabs messing with it. the ISIS core birthplace of sunni triangle in iraq is right next to syria.

the west and gulf arabs however added fuel to the simmering fire.

but Assad could have given a better account of himself without the west supporting his mortal enemies. ISIS got a good chance to take advantage and settle itself