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World Politics

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Tex

John Thornett (49)

boyo

Mark Ella (57)
To misquote Winston Churchill:-

"I cannot forecast to you the action of Iraq. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma: but perhaps there is a key. That key is Iraqi national interest."
 

Tex

John Thornett (49)
To misquote Winston Churchill:-

"I cannot forecast to you the action of Iraq. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma: but perhaps there is a key. That key is Iraqi national interest."

That "national interest" has been well and truly put to bed in recent years. Goes to show that 100-odd years of western states doesn't erase 1500 year old sectarian tension.
 

Gnostic

Mark Ella (57)
To misquote Winston Churchill:-

"I cannot forecast to you the action of Iraq. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma: but perhaps there is a key. That key is Iraqi national interest."

What Iraqi national interest would that be? Iraq like Yugoslavia was a state held together by a dictator who was universally feared. Remove the dictator and it will revert back to its regional states.

The next break up point will be Lybia.

Lets not forget that US foreign policy and the CIA have been playing these groups off against one another since the 60s, and much would be different if they hadn't played those games with the lives of other countries citizens.
 

boyo

Mark Ella (57)
Perhaps Iraq's national interest is oil and repelling infidels.

Maybe I should have posted just this part:-

"I cannot forecast to you the action of Iraq. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma"
 

Tex

John Thornett (49)
The concept of "Iraq" as a state is now fundamentally challenged. Post-imperial borders have been erased and ancient sectarian rifts have been reopened.

It's interesting to hear Blair lay the blame for the current events in Iraq on the West's inaction in Syria. Wasn't ISIS one of the rebel groups fighting against Assad? If so, i'm not sure how that would have played out in real terms.

1. Support the anti-Assad elements (including ISIS) in Syria and in doing so, provoke the Russian response
2. Oppose ISIS in Iraq but not Syria
3. Both?

And what of the other interests in the region? Where do Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Iran sit in the picture?
 

Slim 293

Stirling Mortlock (74)
Colbert had a great bit last night............ who can the US fund to fight ISIS?

Hezbollah? No.......... who is their enemy?

Al Qaeda? No............ who is their enemy?

Assad? No........... who is his enemy?

Al Nusra? Yes, wait...... no, that's Al Qaeda......... who is their enemy?

Iran? No............. who is their enemy?

ISIS!
 

Slim 293

Stirling Mortlock (74)
And what of the other interests in the region? Where do Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Iran sit in the picture?


Iran have offered assistance, but the US won't take that offer.........

The money for groups like ISIS is coming from Saudi Arabia...........
 

Tex

John Thornett (49)
This is a year old and fairly messy, but I guess the topic it's trying to unpick is also a complete mess.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...st-explained-in-one-sort-of-terrifying-chart/

BSm0bOBCYAAAph6.jpg
 

Runner

Nev Cottrell (35)
Remember many of these countires, like in Africa, (Berlin treaty in 1920's) were drawn up in colonial or post war periods. It is were tribal groupings etc were not considered. Sometimes a mountain or a river was the simplest boundary. This has lead to horrors in Africa and the Middle east.
 
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Pfitzy

George Gregan (70)
Yeah the Poms fucked it then the US came along 80 years later and fucked it up the butt.

Long-term stabilisation won't occur even if the boundaries were dissolved, because those tribal groups will fight even harder for resources without a dictatorship to crush them.

Ultimately what shits me the most are two facts:

1) The Western World is up to its balls in oil dependency when it has the power to reduce that reliance.

2) These fuckheads are using religion to justify their genocide. I'm never against people having faith, but religion is the work of fluffybunnys.
 
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