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Middle East and North Africa 17, where everything is what it seems


Horza

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As for the broader picture, Qatar-Rest of Gulf proxy conflict in Libya wasn't unknown to US intelligence prior to this, and the objective of a westward flight path wouldn't be hard to guess.

This happens when some people simply have too much money to spend. They start a life version of "Game of Thrones"...

We should remind ourselves that the UAE has ~900,000 citizens and Qatar ~300,000 citizens (in both cases excluding work immigrants without citizenship)...

Their proxy conflict now officially affects Libya, Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Gaza...

As far as I remember, the US is an ally of both, so what about putting a leash on those two Chihuahuas?

I mean, that's like Austria and Switzerland fighting it out who the big boss in Europe is...

Madness.

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Yeah, facts matter.

And those facts are that settlements are expanding in Palestinian territory.

So another fact is that what you said, doesn't matter, as I pointed out.

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More on IS's funding picture



The looting of Libya - starring Gaddafis, hedge funds, treasure hunters and the present "government"



the conundrums of bombing IS in Syria - suggestions the admin could "balance" strikes on IS with strikes on Assad



we're told Hamas=IS so Bibi just did a deal with IS



Saudi and Iran get together and chat about one or two things that might be going on right now



Guardian ME editor on the UAE's adventurous turn

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On hindsight, it's probably a good thing that obama failed to garner enough public and congressional support to take down assad after chemical weapons were used in syria last year because it seems like those chemical weapons might be needed to take on isis.

Who would had thought the isolationists at the time were right ........ Mea culpa.

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Even if Obama had received enough support from Congress to strike Assad, was there ever going to be an invasion? And if not but strikes weakened Assad and weapons were given to the so-called moderate rebels, might not this have just allowed an even easier advance for ISIS?

No, and the strikes weren't likely to damage Assad seriously. I don't think there'd have been much impact on IS one way or the other.

I really don't get the cries for intervention against isis here vs. the cries not to intervene in the syrian civil war when chemical weapons were used back then.

Did a video of one american getting beheaded really changed people's stance against foreign entanglement?

The video created a favourable political climate, the rationale was already there when the US started bombing IS in Iraq - no logic to bombing them on one side of the border and not the other.

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So was all that talk about maybe striking Assad just a bunch of the "do something bias" hitting the DC world?

That and Obama had boxed himself into action by declaring chemical weapons use a red line.

At the time everyone was bemoaning the deal as a diplomatic disaster (even yours truly didn't think it would be seen through to completion) but it's resulted in a pretty thorough dismantling of a mature, sizeable chemical weapons capability - far more than would have been achieved by airstrikes.

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I really don't get the cries for intervention against isis here vs. the cries not to intervene in the syrian civil war when chemical weapons were used back then.

Did a video of one american getting beheaded really changed people's stance against foreign entanglement?

ISIS has limited ability to harm the US or its interests, but it potentially could and its hard to say if it has the interest or not, Assad has no ability and no interest; ergo, ISIS is a threat, whereas Assad is not.

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a vigorous defence of Qatari foreign policy



US generals reviewing Israeli Gaza operations "astonished" by disproportionate, indiscrimate shelling



reminder: beheading is fine if you use a green flag instead of a black one, only kill petty criminals and wizards who you've tortured confessions out of first... and sit on a massive pile of hydrocarbons -- shit, you can even get a seat on the UN Human Rights Council.


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What a disgusting piece of filth. The dude is some sort of (extremely well paid) consultant for the qatari military??

Military consultants tend to be well-paid. Mind sharing what disgusts you about the article?

----------------

Speaking of Qatar, they might be on the verge of getting kicked out of the GCC

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So this seems like some really bad news.








The United Nations says 43 peacekeepers have been detained by an armed group in Syria during fighting and 81 other peacekeepers are trapped.




The office of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the peacekeepers were detained early Thursday on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights during a "period of increased fighting between armed elements and the Syrian Arab Armed Forces."



The statement says another 81 peacekeepers are "currently being restricted to their positions in the vicinity of Ar Ruwayhinah and Burayqah."









Yesterday it was being reported that it was ISIS that took the Syrian checkpoints on that side of the Golan Heights and that it was unknown what happened to the peacekeepers in the area. I assume these are the same peacekeepers, but since this report just says "armed group" I'm hoping that means that it was a different rebel group than ISIS. Them having 43 foreign hostages would be...problematic, to say the least.


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What is Likud thinking?

That they want Israel to have the land and that no one will stop them. Same thing they've always been thinking on this subject.

That they no longer give a shit?? It is a bit of a shocker.

How is it a shocker? This is business as usual for Israel. They've never stopped with the settlement expansion.

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That they want Israel to have the land and that no one will stop them. Same thing they've always been thinking on this subject.

How is it a shocker? This is business as usual for Israel. They've never stopped with the settlement expansion.

I was surprised because it was such a large land grab and came right on the heals of the conflict with Gaza.

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I was surprised because it was such a large land grab and came right on the heals of the conflict with Gaza.

I imagine it's a way of saving face with the electorate. As I understand it there were strong sentiments within Israel that accepting the ceasefire made them look weak/like they'd lost. By annexing some West Bank land as to 'settle the score', the government can make it look like they have actually made some gains with all of this. Suspect it might not be the best idea in the long term, since it will only add fuel to the grievances the Palestinians already harbour, but since when to politicians think about the long term?

ST

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Interesting piece about reporting bias in Israel: http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/183033/israel-insider-guide



While I don't necessarily agree with the author's points (in particular, I disagree that it is irresponsible to portray the issues in the West Bank and Jerusalem as 'Israel vs Palestine' rather than 'Israel vs The Arab World', or that the scope of other atrocities in somehow makes it irresponsible or 'anti-semitic' to cast judgement on the parties involved in the current conflict. It is clear this is not an unbiased piece in and of itself), he does raise some interesting issues about the way that reporting from Israel is framed by the major news agencies.



I know very little about the internals of Palestinian politics or how the Palestinian Authority (which =/= Hamas, after all) conducts its business. With so many reporters on the ground, it feels as though it should be possible to get a more rounded view of the conflict than is currently being portrayed. Am I just not reading around the issue enough and the information is there if you care to look, or is there genuinely an information deficit in this area?



ST


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