Richard, Don't you think that "the regime of President Bashar al-Assad" is "too friendly with Iran"? If Assad told Iran to leave Syria I think a lot of what is to come could be avoided but we know he won't do that. Iran appears to be the one who is "hankering for a Mideast war." and Putin has the ability to help escort Iran out of Syria but he hasn't done so. Let's see Iran close up their "new shops" in Syria and let Putin and Assad work together to re-stabilize and rebuild Syria. But again, that'll never happen and when "the poop hits the fan" Eric Margolis among others will attempt to find a way to put all of the blame on the USA. Mr. Margolis is not only warmongering in this article, he is hate-mongering. Most people support the protection of their families and their countries from terrorism; and they realize that terrorists come in many forms - not from one particular religion or ethnicity.
NEW ISLAMIST GROUP IN SYRIA. Breaking News on FOX BUSINESS this morning. What is it Carol that you just don't seem to understand????? The ousting of Assad by the West has brought more turmoil and more strength to the Islamists.
Assad had Hezbollah contained. Now we have Iran all over the Middle East, and much worse Islamists groups causing havoc. Do you agree with Turkey backing the Muslim brotherhood? Because that's what the Saudis are doing too. Both those countries are our allies. Why don't we hear the liberal media, or even you, speak against this lunacy?
Why can't we leave the Middle East and have Russia deal with these whackos? It was Obama who gave billions to Iran, not Russia. That's Russia's yard, and they dealt with Iran better than we ever did. Containing Islamists is the only way to handle the Middle East. Both Assad and Putin were doing this.
At the end of the day, Carol, all Muslims unite under Islam. This game that has been playing for years to separate the Shia and Sunni's may have worked for awhile, but Turkey will unite with Iran and the Saudis. It's what most of us who never forget history have been worrying about for the last 15 years. These wars and our meddling have caused them to unite. The little strategic plan to squeeze out Iran by pushing Assad and Putin into a corner, hopefully works, but once I read Erdogan is planning a trip to Iran, I am in doubt.
It doesn't matter what I think about Syrian-Iranian relations. That's up to the Syrians to decide. Its not up to the United States, Israel or anyone else. Israel appears to be the one "hankering for a Mideast war." Tell, me Carol, when was the last time Iran bombed another soverign country? Contrast Iran with Israel (or rather, Netanyahu, as I hate to lump all Israelis in with the known liar and warmonger Bibi) who under Netanyahu have bombed the Christian-defending and Christian-supported Syrian regular Army too many times to count. Has Netanyahu ever ONCE bombed ISIS? Iranian miliitas as well as Hezbollah are in Syria and have killed more ISIS terrorists there than the West. Let that sink in for a second before you continue to repeat the Neocon warmongering with regard to Iran. Iran is not a threat to America's vital national security interests and anyone telling you otherwise is putting Israeli and Saudi foreign interests ahead of the vital national security interests of the United States. Israel knows it could never have defeated Iraq without America's help and this is why Netanyahu went before Congress and lied us into the Iraq War: Israel struggled to handle Lebanon in 2006 and knows it cannot singlehandedly (or partnered with the butchers in Saudi Arabia) defeat Iran, whose territory is heavily defended. That's why Israel is already beating the drums for American involvement in a future war with Iran. But there ain't one vital American national security interest in this conflict worth the life of a single U.S. Marine and if Trump and our Neocon sell-outs in Government think otherwise they are in for a rude awakening because blue collar America is sick and tired of our sons and daughters fighting and dying for Zionist and Wahhabi foreign interests. If they try pulling another Iraq, the Vietnam protests are going to look like Mr. Rogers happy hour. Americans are sick of it.
I simply don't understand why so many here don't understand the Global Economic/Political situation in the Middle East? It's Oil!... OIL!!!! Without Mideast OIL/GAS Europe grinds to a halt as do all energy poor regions. No Electricity, No Jobs and NO Food delivery. The USA is not so dependant. The World is being held hostage by our need for Oil and everyone wants to insure their supply of same....... and will cut other people's throats to get it. Thus the need to insure OIL flows and Bad Actors are not able to stop that flow! Then Ya throw in corrupt/incompetent Socialist Dictators like Maduro in Oil Rich, but not producing, Venezuela and Ya can plainly see why Crude is near $70 a barrel and the markets are nervous. Plus!!! We Christians, I trust, have not forgotten the prophecies of Scripture and the centrality of the Middle East in them!? GOD SAVE ALL HERE!!
We are independent of oil. We don't need Middle East oil. But strategically Russia is better situated to sell oil to Europe than the USA. We are trying to change that by taking charge of a pipeline through Israel, but it's becoming more of a pipe dream. It's cost innocent lives and our country going bankrupt. Is it really worth all the bloodshed? It's not like we are liberating the people from despots and handing them better leaders, on the contrary. We have Venezuela and Mexico in our own back yard with plenty of oil, for hundreds of years. We are not dependent at all. It's all about trying to grab power and money at the other side of the world. And Israel's Netanyahu is our puppet. Now is this God's plan? I know some Christians believe it to be so. But I still remember Pope JP II's anger on our meddling in the Middle East. He was so angry at George W. Bush. So much so, he didn't allow Condoleeza Rice to visit him at the Vatican. I trust Pope JP II's judgment, more than Netanyahu's, and so should all Christians.
Byron, It's all lunacy, terrorism is lunacy - to use your word. No normal country wants the terrorism spilling over into their own backyards, they don't want the lunacy in their own country. Do you honestly think that Assad and Putin are concerned with what happens in the rest of the world (the USA or Europe in particular) regarding terrorism? Are you trying to claim that they could have saved the world from all of this evil? (And you claim that I don't understand.) I actually did speak of Turkey and their involvement in another post of mine in regards to them backing rebels and their goal to oust Assad. I haven't spoken of the Muslim Brotherhood in particular but maybe you can fill us in with the details of what they are doing these days. Leaving the Middle East is still a goal of the USA and I pray that it happens in the near future. What is "Russia's yard" exactly? One day they may all become united to fight against a common enemy but they are hardly all united at the moment. I have no idea what you are talking about in regards to a strategic plan. Richard, You are correct, it doesn't matter what you "think about Syrian-Iranian relations". Ultimately, it doesn't matter what any of us think about any of these things because our opinion on these matters does not count at all. The only thing we have control over in regards to these things is who we vote for and even then there are no guarantees because it is a moving target. We can hope that we voted for people who are going to make the best possible decision at any particular moment and that is all. In past posts, I have tried to understand the actions that the USA/President Trump has taken in regards to this recent strike on Syria (and last year's strike also, for that matter). I am not suggesting any US military action in the Middle East or with Russia or with any country. I made a suggestion that Iran gets out of Syria and that this may help calm things down in the Middle East. It's so strange how you would refer to that suggestion as "Necon warmongering with regard to Iran".
Carol we have tried to explain to you that ISIS the group that slaughtered and destroyed Christians all over the Middle East were funded by Saudi Arabia and Turkey - they are related to the Muslim brotherhood. And so far they are doing just fine. They are back in Syria causing more havoc. Christian lives, Carol, mean more to us Christians here in the West, than having Israel and the U.S. gain the oil power of the Middle East. These bankrupting wars have destroyed Christianity in the Middle East. That means something to us, like it did for Pope John Paul II. Your suggestion that Iran get out of Syria is exactly what Trump is trying to do. That's the strategic plan. I don't have a crystal ball, so I don't know if it will work or not. But so far for the last 15 years any plan the Pentagon has done to better our foothold in the Middle East has backfired. But maybe you are right Carol, maybe Trumps plan will work and Iran will pack their bags and head back to Persia. And Turkey will gladly let the Jews control the oil through Europe. And the Saudis will jump for joy and hold hands with the Israeli government. All will be good. Oh such joy to see them all working together, and it will be Trump who made it all happen. Peace in the Middle East at last.
No Byron! We are NOT independent in oil or several other strategic resources. Last year our net import of oil/products was 3.7 MILLION Barrels a day! ..... and thanks to 50 years of STUPID trade policies and playing Uncle Sugar all over the Planet we, EU too, have exported most of our Industrial manufacturing/much of our Agriculture, of common everyday necessities, to places where instability/tyranny are the norm and hatred of all things Western/Christian are common ...... Mexico!? ... Venezuela!!?? Give me a break!! The grabbing of $$$/Power is how the World Works ... always has .... & NO! I don't know why The Lord is waiting so long to come and ............... ? GOD SAVE ALL HERE!!
My Texan family is in the oil business Crewdog, we are fine on oil in this hemisphere. The problem is our politicians and the special interests groups. Internationalists, so to speak, have a vested interest in keeping this charade going.
To quote Ernest Hemingway in The Sun Also Rises: isn’t it pretty to think so? We have here not a lasting City. (As the Bible says)
Couldn't America's leadership just bring its young men and women home, where they would not have to face the bullets of Shia's or Arabs or unfriendlies or militia or whoever ....then use its oil to the betterment of its people. Help its poor. Fix its economy. Why do young Americans have to die in deserts, and in far flung places? I dont understand.... I really dont. If its not oil. Then what is it? If I was an American I'd be clamouring to bring the young people home.. May God bless America, and free her of tyranny.
We are in real danger of going nuclear here, people. Will it matter then who was right or wrong? We need peacemakers. May the King of heaven send us peacemakers... J.
I cant be certain, but I read somewhere awile back that America has been importing; deliberately leaving its own reserves in the ground. Pretty smart. I read also that you do not drill offshore, off your coast...where there are vast reserves. Again, pretty smart. this can be googled..
Richard, that video is shocking! Absolutely shocking... That is the leader of a country telling lies to the world.
Byron, I have as clear an understanding of what is occurring in Syria as most other people do. If you have some inside information about a terrorist organization or rebels there then you should contact the authorities. I am still waiting for you to explain what "Russia's yard" is, a term that you used. A few months ago you must have thought that Donbas, Ukraine (not Crimea) was part of "Russia's yard" because you argued that it is ok for Russia to be sending "volunteers" aka mercenaries there to fight for their "yard" and kill innocent civilians in the process. Lookup The Wagner Group, they have been busy in Syria also and now the Russian journalist who wrote about them just "fell" off his balcony the other day and died. http://www.businessinsider.com/maxi...ussian-journalist-covered-wagner-group-2018-4 Of course, I am concerned about innocent Christians' lives along with all innocent people in the world and I have never stated otherwise. Iran should "pack their bags and head back to Persia." as you have stated and the USA should get out of Syria also, there should not be a double standard. As you have also stated, Syria has the help(?) of Russia already and that should be enough. Iran has it's own national problems that it would be wise to focus on like their severe economic problems as opposed to building airbases in Syria. Peace in the Middle East and peace throughout the world should be something that we strive for not something that we mock as you have done. PS- I have a bridge to sell it's called "The Brooklyn Bridge", any takers?
Ol' R67 just can't help himself! He is so blinded by his prejudices that it has distorted his entire worldview. I'm still waiting for a list of all those Israeli AF attacks on Christians that R67 spoke of last week and is alluding to today .... CountlessI? ...Eh!!?? He posts Internet YouTube videos edited and produced by ???? If you copy the URL() and paste in your browser you can easily find out in the Comments Section that the video was made to enrage the Jew Haters. Likewise check-out most of the other videos listed on the right of the YouTube page. Few defenders of Israel there. It was believed by NATO and US Intelligence Agencies that Iraq did, in fact, have WMDs and they were found but, like Trump, Bush was so despised by the Muslim Loving Left that the truth was buried and other Bush "Atrocities" were invented to carry on the Bush Bashing Agenda. Same Left Tactic we see today with the Trump Bashing Usual Suspects. https://townhall.com/columnists/joh...-claims-bush-lied-about-wmds-in-iraq-n2122278 Now!! I'm not at all convinced we should have gone back into Iraq in 2004! I think we should have finished off the SOBs back in 91 when I was there! It would have been so easy and near painless to do so as we had already destroyed their defenses and bottled up/cut-off what was left of their vaunted Republican Guards in South Iraq.... and the Road to Baghdad was wide open. The Bush Presidents, I & II, were not the Lincoln Republican of Old ;-( Way too much dependence on feckless and hapless UN Ideology/Kumbiya BS. A couple of Soup Sandwiches in truth. I do NOT believe in Replacement Theology. I believe that Israel/Jews are unique and one can't separate the two. I believe that they are, still, the Chosen People and I believe the Scripture Prophecy of Middle East fulfillment to come. ... and R67 & Ya'll. Like it or no Israel is our/US long time Ally in the ME and the only Democratic Country over there and a country where there are tens of thousands of Muslim/Arab Israeli Citizens and I presume thousands of Israeli Christian Citizens plus the Mosques/Churches where they are free to worship. Freedom of worship is not a given in most of the ME. GOD SAVE ALL HERE!!
No, Crewdog, we ARE independent of Middle East Oil. At least we almost were, until John Kerry secretly met with Saudi Prince Bandar in September, 2014. I saw the destruction of the budding U.S. Natural Gas/Crude industry in realtime, having a relative who works for an East Coast Railroad. Prior to that secret deal between Kerry and the Saudis in 2014, the Oil trains were running like crazy and the new refineries down in Delmarva and across the country were booming; after the deal the trains stopped running like they were literally within two weeks and the price dropped so much that these budding Oil Refineries were forced to severely limit operations. It all came to an end artificially and it had political motivations, nothing to do with Market forces. It had everything to do with Syria and hurting Russia. Obama killed Big Coal in his first term, then he killed Big Oil in his second term, helping to galvanize blue collar support for Trump and hand him the Blue Wall states. But, sadly, Trump can’t say no to the Saudis. I’ve criticized the Zionist warmongers in Israel and rightly so (no, its not “anti-semitism” or “hate” as you keep falsely alleging anymore than criticizing America’s foreign policy makes me anti-American) but the Saudis are the real butchers in the Middle East. The things they do make Assad look like a Saint. Almost everyone of the 9/11 hijackers came from Saudi Arabia (and yet we bombed Iraq back to the Stone Age). It’s sickening that Trump has joined hands with and given millions in advanced American military hardware to the real Tryants in the Gulf: the Saudis. Here’s an excellent detailing of Kerry’s secret deal with the Saudis in 2014: One of the weirdest anomalies of the recent NATO bombing campaign, allegedly against the ISIS or IS or ISIL or Daash, depending on your preference, is the fact that with major war raging in the world’s richest oil region, the price of crude oil has been dropping, dramatically so. Since June when ISIS suddenly captured the oil-rich region of Iraq around Mosul and Kirkuk, the benchmark Brent price of crude oil dropped some 20% from $112 to about $88. World daily demand for oil has not dropped by 20% however. China oil demand has not fallen 20% nor has US domestic shale oil stock risen by 21%. What has happened is that the long-time US ally inside OPEC, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has been flooding the market with deep discounted oil, triggering a price war within OPEC, with Iran following suit and panic selling short in oil futures markets. The Saudis are targeting sales to Asia for the discounts and in particular, its major Asian customer, China where it is reportedly offering its crude for a mere $50 to $60 a barrel rather than the earlier price of around $100. [1] That Saudi financial discounting operation in turn is by all appearance being coordinated with a US Treasury financial warfare operation, via its Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, in cooperation with a handful of inside players on Wall Street who control oil derivatives trading. The result is a market panic that is gaining momentum daily. China is quite happy to buy the cheap oil, but her close allies, Russia and Iran, are being hit severely. According to Rashid Abanmy, President of the Riyadh-based Saudi Arabia Oil Policies and Strategic Expectations Center, the dramatic price collapse is being deliberately caused by the Saudis, OPEC’s largest producer. The public reason claimed is to gain new markets in a global market of weakening oil demand. The real reason, according to Abanmy, is to put pressure on Iran on her nuclear program, and on Russia to end her support for Bashar al-Assad in Syria. When combined with the financial losses of Russian state natural gas sales to Ukraine and prospects of a US-instigated cutoff of the transit of Russian gas to the huge EU market this winter as EU stockpiles become low, the pressure on oil prices hits Moscow doubly. More than 50% of Russian state revenue comes from its export sales of oil and gas. The US-Saudi oil price manipulation is aimed at destabilizing several strong opponents of US globalist policies. Targets include Iran and Syria, both allies of Russia in opposing a US sole Superpower. The principal target, however, is Putin’s Russia, the single greatest threat today to that Superpower hegemony. The strategy is similar to what the US did with Saudi Arabia in 1986 when they flooded the world with Saudi oil, collapsing the price to below $10 a barrel and destroying the economy of then-Soviet ally, Saddam Hussein in Iraq and, ultimately, of the Soviet economy, paving the way for the fall of the Soviet Union. Today, the hope is that a collapse of Russian oil revenues, combined with select pin-prick sanctions designed by the US Treasury’s Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence will dramatically weaken Putin’s enormous domestic support and create conditions for his ultimate overthrow. It is doomed to fail for many reasons, not the least, because Putin’s Russia has taken major strategic steps together with China and other nations to lessen its dependence on the West. In fact the oil weapon is accelerating recent Russian moves to focus its economic power on national interests and lessen dependence on the Dollar system. If the dollar ceases being the currency of world trade, especially oil trade, the US Treasury faces financial catastrophe. For this reason, I call the Kerry-Abdullah oil war a very stupid tactic. The Kerry-Abdullah secret deal On September 11, US Secretary of State Kerry met Saudi King Abdullah at his palace on the Red Sea. The King invited former head of Saudi intelligence, Prince Bandar to attend. There a deal was hammered out which saw Saudi support for the Syrian airstrikes against ISIS on condition Washington backed the Saudis in toppling Assad, a firm ally of Russia and de facto of Iran and an obstacle to Saudi and UAE plans to control the emerging EU natural gas market and destroy Russia’s lucrative EU trade. A report in the Wall Street Journal noted there had been “months of behind-the-scenes work by the US and Arab leaders, who agreed on the need to cooperate against Islamic State, but not how or when. The process gave the Saudis leverage to extract a fresh US commitment to beef up training for rebels fighting Mr. Assad, whose demise the Saudis still see as a top priority.” [3] For the Saudis the war is between two competing age-old vectors of Islam. Saudi Arabia, home to the sacred cities of Mecca and Medina, claims de facto supremacy in the Islamic world of Sunni Islam. The Saudi Sunni form is ultra-conservative Wahhabism, named for an 18th Century Bedouin Islamic fundamentalist or Salafist named Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahha. The Taliban derive from Wahhabism with the aid of Saudi-financed religious instruction. The Gulf Emirates and Kuwait also adhere to the Sunni Wahhabism of the Saudis, as does the Emir of Qatar. Iran on the other hand historically is the heart of the smaller branch of Islam, the Shi’ite. Iraq’s population is some 61% majority Shi’ite. Syria’s President, Bashar al-Assad is a member of a satellite of the Shi’ite branch known as Alawite. Some 23% of Turkey is also Alawite Muslim. To complicate the picture more, across a bridge from Saudi Arabia sits the tiny island country, Bahrain where as many as 75% of the population is Shi’ite but the ruling Al-Khalifa family is Sunni and firmly tied to Saudi Arabia. Moreover, the richest Saudi oil region is dominated by Shi’ite Muslims who work the oil installations of Ras Tanura....(cont).
