"Turks, Syrians, Iraqis and Kurds ... Oh My !!!" Topic

You just can't do anything to stop these old factions from killing each other. Just as long as they keep it over there …

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You forgot the Iranians, they are currently beating up on Kurds in there country and, I think they also fired a missile at Erbil.

The Iranians are currently preoccupied in beating up those in charge, and/or protesting against them.

Apparently, that's been going on for 3 months now, and their soccer team just conducted a pretty brazen protest at the World Cup Games too. Good for them.

I hope they can overthrow the radical theocracy in charge there now. It is long overdue.

Seems the Turks and others in the region don't have a lot of love for one another, eh?

Oh yes, I did forget Iran ! They always are running around in that area causing "problems". As noted, they are also busy beating up and killing their own people. They won't be able to overthrow a theocracy so deeply imbedded with their religious beliefs, etc., like having a "morality police'. Who just beat a 22 year old girl to death for not wearing her hijab correctly(?)

Plus, they have their fanatical IRGC. I don't always use Nazi parallels, but in this case. They are somewhat like the Gestapo or SS.

However, they will be a real threat to the region when they get deployable nukes. The only thing slowing that up is the Mossad. I think the US wants to give them money again ? Yeah, that will help …

"overthrow the radical theocracy in charge there now."

And replace them with a moderate theocracy that will be a distinction without a difference.

Mike Bunkermeister Creek

Under the current POTUS the US will *not* support any movement that threatens the Iranian regime because it is at odds with their vision of Middle East stability.

In Biden Admin's vision, it is the US and its ally Israel, and to a lesser extent nominally pro-US regimes in the region, that cause instability in the region. Obama's solution, and carried over to his 3rd term under Biden, is to diminish US allies and presence while boosting Iran as a regional hegemon that will stabilize the region.

That's why the US refused to support the Green Revolution in 2009 in Iran as the "Street" rose up against the Theocracy, why the US took little action against Iranian actions, relaxed sanctions, paid hostage money, and pushed their nuclear deal so hard.

And so this is why now the Biden regime is acting to break the historic Abraham Accords peace deal between Israel and multiple Arab states and interfere with Israeli attempts at a peace deal with the Saudis, by once again using the Palestinians as a wedge issue to drive Israel and its Arab neighbors apart -- while boosting Iran again.

I think it's utter madness.

SB +1 With all that is going on, rumor is Iran may make a terrorist attack on the World Soccer Games. IIRC the report … Their own soccer team would not sing their national anthem in support of the protesters. Guess the Iranian top leadership didn't like that.

Will they risk starting a war with an Arab nation ? Who may have support from other Arab nations. Will it be a Sunni-Shia blood match in the desert. At least in the air ?

As we know Iranians are not Arabs but Persians … and overwhelmingly Shite.

Will they risk starting a war with an Arab nation ? Who may have support from other Arab nations. Will it be a Sunni-Shia blood match in the desert.

The already is one -- Iran backed the Shiite Houthi tribe in Yemen, armed them, trained them, turned a low-level insurrection into a high intensity war and helped them take over most of the country. Then they started lobbing Scud missiles at Saudi Arabi and UAE, and attacked shipping off the coast with Iranian Silkworm ASMs. The Saudis and UAE appealed to the then-Obama Admin who did nothing, then the UN who did nothing, and finally the Arab League voted unanimously to intervene in Yemen.

Thus the War in Yemen. A war Engineered by Iran, but the Saudis are the ones attacked by the West?? Don't quite get that.

losing Sunni Arab governm

Good points … Yep, Bottom line –

The Saudis and UAE appealed to the then-Obama Admin who did nothing, then the UN who did nothing, and finally the Arab League voted unanimously to intervene in Yemen.

The Sunni-Shite conflict continues. Good thing we don't need KSA oil … wait … never mind.

I will just say that it is very difficult to get a read on who is doing what in the region. There are classified ops going on all the time. There are accords and business deals, there are dupes and schemers, there Is reality. Power and money, religion and feudal fanatics.

For a long time the west has floundered in the Middle East. Next year will mark the 40th anniversary of the death of over 200 Marines in Lebanon. Obama was 22 years old. Biden did not send them.

Next year will mark the 40th anniversary of the death of over 200 Marines in Lebanon. Obama was 22 years old. Biden did not send them.

What do I care which president sent them? Iran killed them.

Huh? I am no fan of the current POTUS and the Afghanistan operation or the previous guy and his issues, but the one sided and never ending blame game here is far from objective. The US intervention in Lebanon 82-83, is every bit as concerning as Afghanistan was last year, IMO.

A lot of unanswered questions, failure to fully understand the conflict, antagonizing the factions with various attacks, the deadly response attack on the embassy, then on the Marines. Questions about inadequate defensive measures. The ill-fated Navy air op on the Syrian AA positions. The birth of Hezbollah. The Inman report.
A whole lot of US casualties, including the Marines worst day since Iwo Jima.
You don't care who was running this because it is all Irans fault. So I guess Afghanistan must all be the Talibans fault. Or maybe there is a bit too much political venting.

Biden/Obama regime? Here is an update..

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I will just say that it is very difficult to get a read on who is doing what in the region. There are classified ops going on all the time.

Yes, we have experts on the region. And Spec ops on the ground. But as I said, their being so wedded to religious beliefs, tribal, mullah, cleric, warlord, etc. affiliations keeps them in the past. In many ways.

Power and money, religion and feudal fanatics.

Bingo ! If the region did not have oil, the West would only go there for archeology, etc. The West really has little in common with many of the region's denizens. For all the things we've mentioned and more.

For a long time the west has floundered in the Middle East. Next year will mark the 40th anniversary of the death of over 200 Marines in Lebanon. Obama was 22 years old. Biden did not send them.

Yes, that was a tragedy, that could have been avoided with better ROE. But hindsight is 20/20. And those Shite terrorists were supported by Iran & Syria. So yes, the terrorists/jihadis, Syria & Iran are still our enemies. We cannot forget that …

You don't care who was running this because it is all Irans fault. So I guess Afghanistan must all be the Talibans fault.

Yes, from my standpoint based on my past, etc. anytime US/NATO troops are killed in that region it is the enemies' faults. When you are deployed in places like that politics, etc. don't matter in a firefight, IMO. I care about our troops/NATO, etc., the enemy are just targets to be serviced.

So I guess Afghanistan must all be the Talibans fault. Or maybe there is a bit too much political venting.

The current leaderships handling of many things in that region is very poor.
We have the A'stan debacle …

The way they are dealing with Iran. If Iran gets a deployable nuke a lot of things could change, and it may be said it is the current leaderships' fault. If that happens.

Our current relationship with the KSA …

IMO- US Leadership Rating = poor to marginal.

And of course you/many know my stand on the POTUS, et al. etc. 'nuff said …

Biden/Obama regime? Here is an update.

So Biden/Obama have reinstated some of the sanctions put in place by the Trump Admin, and which B/O had unilaterally dropped shortly after taking over the White House in 2021. Woopdie-doo! The actions of this Admin re-invigorated Iran and all other US enemies, put Iran back on track towards nukes and freed up billions of $$$ in frozen assets.

Russia is reinvigorated? China?

Agreed, Legion. Between Israel and the US, there should be enough resources to continue the raids on Irans facilities, a stopgap effort at best though.It may be that there will be an opportunity to resolve the nuke issue with a major regime change, which I think is the only way to get anywhere with Iran other than a war. We have mismanaged the KSA in several ways over the last two admins. And throwing the Palestinians under the bus does not work as the basis for accords, other than for a handful of wealthY businessmen. Casualties there are up seven fold since 2020.

The whole region is a never ending hot mess, IMO, no matter who the POTUS is or what we do.

Agree on many of your comments … But it seems to me that last two years things in that region have only got worse.

1) The KSA is no long a "friend" as before.

2) Iran is closer now than before getting a deployable nuke(s). They are not our "friends" and have not been in many decades. Overrunning our Embassy, capturing and threating the Americans that worked there does not prove to be an endearing quality.

The Saudis are hedging their bets, going green… NYT reporting.

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Well, they certainly have the $ to do so. Plus a lot of open spaces for wind power and the desert Sun for solar. I'll believe it when I see it. But what are they going to do with all that oil? As well as in don't see any combat vehicles & aircraft running on anything but Diesel & MOGAS. At least for a decade or so.

Another ISIS leader Killed … they are like cockroaches … so just keep killing them. They will make more and more will die.

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