Of course that means after the Americans pull out. That does put a political problem up for those calling for an American withdrawal from Iraq. The very act of an American withdrawal fulfills Iran's destiny of becoming the major power in the Gulf. It would be the culmination of the perfect storm of political stupidity, historical ignorance and naive ideology. Mission accomplished.
Mideast power vacuum ‘benefits Iran’
By Najmeh Bozorgmehr in Tehran Financial Times
Published: August 28 2007 23:53 | Last updated: August 28 2007 23:53Iran’s president said on Tuesday that diminished US political influence in the Middle East was creating a “power vacuum” that would benefit Iran and other countries in the region.Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad went on to say that that the US’s “weakening” of the Iraqi government – an apparent reference to recent criticism of prime minister Nouri al-Maliki by senior US politicians – would not help the US maintain control over the country.The comments are a reminder of Iran’s long-standing ambition to be the top power in the Persian Gulf, as it was before the 1979 Islamic revolution – a nightmare scenario for some of the other countries in the region.Iran’s nuclear programme – which Tehran says is purely for peaceful purposes – has fuelled Sunni Arab countries’ fears of Shia Iran.Mr Ahmadi-Nejad was speaking before US president George W. Bush launched a fresh verbal attack on the Tehran regime’s nuclear programme which the US and other western powers believe is designed to produce nuclear weapons.“Iran’s actions threaten the security of nations everywhere, and the United States is rallying friends and allies to isolate Iran’s regime to impose economic sanctions,” Mr Bush told a US Veteran’s rally. “We will confront this danger before it is too late.”But Mr Ahmadi-Nejad called for co-operation with some of the regional nations who have expressed concern at its growing influence.“With the help of neighbours and regional friends like Saudi Arabia, we are ready to fill up this vacuum to the benefit of regional nations and Iraq,” Mr Ahmadi-Nejad said in a press conference. “This is happening… and those who close their eyes are fooling themselves.” more here
Perfect Storm.
ReplyDeleteWas it ever.
I thought AQ would be filling the vacuum, though. Hard to keep up.
If AQ and the Iranians are going to fill the vacuum, I say let the vacuum be filled.
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ReplyDeleteAll this time I thought it was al-Sadr that was going to fill the vacuum
ReplyDelete"I first wanted to go after him when he had probably fewer than 200 followers," Bremer recalled in an interview with Newsweek last week. "I couldn't make it happen ... the Marines were resisting doing anything."
L. Paul Bremer
LOL!
ReplyDeleteI've yet to hear an Iranian tell the truth, and I guess I'm not about to now.
The falsehood of pan-arabism/islamism acts as the progenitor of wars, tyranny, and the cultural and intellectual squalor that is found in the Middle East.
ReplyDeleteThe deep and hidden reason for the tyrannical oppression practiced throughout the Middle East is the imposition of pan-arabic/islamic cliques that intend to dictatorially "arabize" the various peoples of the Middle East, who are – all – not Arabs."
The solution, is authentic ethnic nationalism, staring with the Kurdistan. But instead, the US continues to weigh in its support for pan-arabic/islamic imperialistic formulas.
Progenitor of Wars and Tyrannies: the Falsehood of Pan-Arabism
Maybe the Iranians will fill the vacuum in the south, the Saudis in the west, and the Turks in the north, leaving the Iraqis s.o.l. and immigrating to America.
ReplyDeleteBarney Frank, the old male whoremonger Slaps Down the Republicans
ReplyDeleteMale prostitution in the basement not mentioned.
Bob,
ReplyDeleteThe "Iranians" can barely "fill the vacuum" within the border of "Iran". The Turks, the same. The Sauds, face a similar situation. These mini empires and multi ethnic states are barely holding together. The only reason that they do is because of brute force and tyranny.
4th25 is the rap group that got some press a few years ago because it consisted of a number of soldiers in Iraq who created a CD in their spare time. A bit ago I posted something from one of their songs, but it might worth it to take a look at the entire CD.
ReplyDeleteCovers rules of engagement, deployment, prosecutions of soldiers, infidelity at home, high command malfeasance, hiding fear from home, etc, etc...Traditional ground level stuff in a war zone. Not rose-covered at all. Much profanity, but really, a work of art. They've also donated most of their profits to military support organizations.
Lyrics, here, if interested.
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ReplyDeleteJust kind of tongue in cheek Mat, but what about Turkey--any chance the military will step in again as they have in the past?
ReplyDeleteFundamentalist Sunnis vs. fundamentalist Shi'ites.
ReplyDelete"Too bad they can't both lose," part II.
Just a sample from above, "The Deployment":
ReplyDeleteTo a
Future unknown and I say damn I really hate it
Cause I know if I was to die today they’d
Go find myself a replacement
Gave me more of a reason
To ask god and myself why
But I was saved by my manhood
Stayed in tact didn’t let me cry
Made me more of a man
Knowin the normal couldn’t hack it
Feelin like im Jordan or something
Risin above and beyond the fuckin average
Equipped with anger for any stranger
That tags along thru my journey
No goodbyes to my family
Addin pages to lifes story
Slowly and surely
Closing up all unfinished business
Dead all my affairs to the rear
Cause my social life now is finished
And with god as my witness
Im not the only one that’s goin thru it
And I’ll never be alone
Cause my comrades is goin thru it
Addin gas to the flame
Knowin life it isn’t fair
But really pissed me off the most
Is half my country didn’t even care
Bob,
ReplyDeleteThey all fear other submerged ethnicities may revolt and unravel the whole thing. That applies to Turkey as well.
0 to 110mph on a jet powered Skateboard
ReplyDeleteVacuum being created in Pakistan Army as Musharraf said ready to step down as Army Chief
ReplyDeleteDeal said made with Bhutto so he can have another term as pres, says report.
Just as doug and I postulated, the Haditha Marines were prosecuted for political purposes, the enviorment poisoned by the Marine Commanant and other officers. They going to Iraq and explaining to the Command "Core Valuess".
ReplyDeleteSam linked, last thread to the collapse of the case. Just as doug and I foretold. The lives and reputation of the enlisted Marines devestated by the witch hunt.
Prosecuting the Haditha case has been especially difficult because the killings were not thoroughly investigated when they first occurred. Months later, when the details came to light, there were no bodies to examine, no Iraqi witnesses to testify under oath, and no damning forensic evidence to help support a murder charge.
No bodies to test forensicly, no testemony from Iraqis, no ballistic tests, no legal case at all, it seems.
When Wuterich, the soft-spoken squad leader who faces the most extensive murder charges of anyone in the Haditha matter, walks into court here today, "all the prosecutorial attention is now going to center on him," Solis said.
Regardless of what happened to charges against the other defendants, there is still great public pressure on the Marine Corps to investigate and punish any wrongdoing in a case in which so many civilians died.
"We can't say those guys didn't commit a crime," said Michael F. Noone Jr., a retired Air Force lawyer and law professor at Catholic University of America. "We can only say that after an investigation, there was not sufficient evidence to prosecute."
But prosecute they did, under political pressure the Marines abandoned the enlisted men to be mauled in the Court of Public opinion.
"We can only say that after an investigation, there was not sufficient evidence to prosecute."
Where is allen to tell US it's all good. All's well that ends well?
The Marine Corps officers cut and ran on those emlisted men when pressured by the politicos.
Took a retired Air Force officer to tell the truth of the matter.
"We can only say that after an investigation, there was not sufficient evidence to prosecute."
Was not enough now, was not enough then, obviously
The conservative thing to do, mat, is maintain the status que.
ReplyDeleteThere you go with your radical retrogressive proposals, again.
Regressing the region to ethnic tribalism, what the elites of the East & West fear most of all.
Back to the 7th Century,
for everyone. Away from the post modern dream of one world, one people.
That'll be a hard sell in DC, Brussels, Beijing and Turtle Bay, impossible really.
Even if it does make sense.
dRat,
ReplyDeleteIt's the old tower of babel project. These people never learn.