[Plantagenet]

My Muslim friends think it's flipping ridiculous America claiming to have defeated IS. Firstly they effectively created, armed, gave succour & ignored or encouraged. Only after Russia & Iran stepped in did American policy do a confused sidestep backflip. I

Actually Obama intervened militarily before either Russia or Iran. He was just ineffectual, as usual for him.

ISIS in Syria was defeated by Shia Muslims, from Syria, Iran, Lebanon, Iraq, backed by Russian air & artillery, with miniscule input from the USA.

The troops who entered Raqaa and defeated ISIS in Syria were mostly the Kurds, and they were armed, trained, and militarily supported in the air and on the ground by US forces during the fighting. Most Kurds are Sunni---not shia.


Kurdish women soldiers in liberated Raqaa.

Cheers!

[SeaGypsy]

If you take the time to research, it's fairly obvious Obama's efforts in Syria were a fake. Kurds are 95+% Muslim (Sunni yes but loosely Shia affiliate), & technically don't have a country.

[Cog]

The US didn't move the Israeli Capital to Jerusalem.

It was already there.

According to the Israelis...Israel passed the "Jerusalem Law" in 1980 where they unilaterally claimed Jerusalem as their capital. Subsequently that same year the UN Security Council passed Resolution 478, declaring the law "null and void". At this point in time Russia is the only country in the world that recognizes West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel (still recognizing the Palestinian state in the occupied lands) everybody else maintains their embassy in Tel Aviv. For reasons I spoke of above, it is a political mine field.

You do understand the Israeli's don't give a damn about UN Resolutions and neither does the United States. Where was the UN when Israel was invaded by their neighbors in 1967 and 1973? Yeah that's right, sitting on their ass in New York. If the Israeli's cared about what the UN thought, there would not be a state of Israel, because all of the Jews would have been in mass graves.

[Subjectivist]

Blessed are those who bless Israel. It is going to be a good eight years for America.

[rockdoc123]

you do understand the Israeli's don't give a damn about UN Resolutions and neither does the United States. Where was the UN when Israel was invaded by their neighbors in 1967 and 1973? Yeah that's right, sitting on their ass in New York. If the Israeli's cared about what the UN thought, there would not be a state of Israel, because all of the Jews would have been in mass graves.

OK that is not the point. As I stated above I agree with supporting the Israeli cause, for crying out loud many of our good friends are of that faith. The issue is that this is not a smart move to solve the Palestinian Israeli situation. All it does is piss off all of the Muslims around the world whereas continuing to try to solve the situation without aggressive actions at least keeps the US from being a target for every Muslim country in the world. Nobody thinks the UN is an incredibly effective organization, it is political by it's nature but the intent is good and UN peacekeepers have done a pretty damn good job in many places around the world in very adverse situations and not a lot of flexibility in how they can respond to threats.

[Shaved Monkey]

Trump is a master of getting groups to reveal their true nature. The true nature of the Palestinians is to practice terrorism. Let them riot and show the world exactly what they stand for.

How do you veiw it in the context of the Boston Tea Party Paul Revere and the war of independence ?
and
Should citizens of all countrys be armed to keep the governments in check ?
and
If you were a Palestinian treated like a Palestinian is treated today, would you just sit there meekly and except your lot in life?

[Cog]

Trump is a master of getting groups to reveal their true nature. The true nature of the Palestinians is to practice terrorism. Let them riot and show the world exactly what they stand for.

How do you veiw it in the context of the Boston Tea Party Paul Revere and the war of independence ?
and
Should citizens of all countrys be armed to keep the governments in check ?
and
If you were a Palestinian treated like a Palestinian is treated today, would you just sit there meekly and except your lot in life?

1) There is no parallel between the US War of Independence and the situation with the Palestinians so I'm not going to bother with this.

2) Yes every citizen should be armed to keep their government in check. Palestinians are not citizens of Israel

3) I would start by recognizing that the State of Israel has the right to exist in exchange for a similar recognition by the State of Israel. If your charter says that Israel must be destroyed that is a non-starter. Understand that given Israel's past, defensible borders must be part of that deal. Israel will never go back to the 1948 borders since they are indefensible. Make the best economic trade arrangements possible with Israel. That is how I would approach it if I were a Palestinian leader who truly wanted what was best for my people.

[Shaved Monkey]

81% of Evangelicals who voted Trump just got their “theological dog-whistle” to fulfil their Armageddon wet dreams

“They want war in the Middle East. The Battle of Armageddon, at which time Jesus Christ will return to the Earth and vanquish all God’s enemies. For certain evangelicals, this is the climax of history. And Trump is taking them there. To the promised judgment, to their sure victory. The righteous will be ushered to heaven; the reprobate will be banished to hellfire.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk4c2uoOF3o


https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.827591

[Plantagenet]

The fuss over Trump moving the embassy to Jerusalem turned out to be a tempest in a teapot.

There were no major riots in Jerusalem. None. Nada Zilch. Zero.

And while there were riots in the west bank and in several other countries with the worst occurring in Lebanon, they were mostly small and easily contained by the local police.

And now there are no riots at all.

Imagine that.

[rockdoc123]

Malaysia 'ready' to send military to Jerusalem if needed to help Palestinians

Malaysia is ready to send troops to Jerusalem, the defense minister said, calling President Donald Trump's decision to recognize the city as Israel's capital "a slap in the face for the entire Muslim world."

"We are ready for any orders from the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces ... should our services be needed," Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said in a speech on Saturday,

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/12/10/trump-israel-capital-malaysian-military-ready-to-support-jerusalem-defense-minister-says.html?recirc=taboolainternal

Why Donald Trump's Jerusalem move might have made Russia a lot stronger

Putin also expressed dismay. Last Thursday, following a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he said that Trump's decision "does not do anything to help settle the situation in the Middle East and is instead destabilizing an already complicated situation."

However, Russia could benefit from the move and see its influence in the Middle East grow, analysts told CNBC, noting that Moscow could even take over the role of "honest broker" in the stalled peace process between Israel and Palestine given its close ties to both Israel and the Arab world.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/12/13/trumps-jerusalem-move-might-have-made-russia-stronger.html

[Cog]

LOL Malaysia sending troops. I can't wait to see that cluster happen. As far as Russia goes, is this the same Russia who supports regimes like Syria and Iran who are calling for the destruction of Israel? Yeah good luck with all that.

[rockdoc123]

The point is that, as I mentioned above, the rest of the Muslim world has aligned itself against the US because of one silly, meaningless gesture. Whether the Malay army could make a difference or not it is now just not the radicals in Acheh province or Bali that hate the US but also mainstream Malays (and Indonesians). And whether you believe Russia is a threat or not the fact that they now have an opportunity to become best friends with the Middle East countries because the US has pissed them off is not a good thing. Can't imagine why you would think this is all good.

[asg70]

#ThanksTrump

[Shaved Monkey]

#ThanksTrump

for setting the stage for Jesus's return after Armageddon?

[Plantagenet]

....Muslim world..... it is now just not the radicals in Acheh province or Bali that hate the US but also mainstream Malays (and Indonesians).

One again you show that you don't know what you are talking about.

The people in Bali aren't part of the "Muslim world." They are HINDU.

AND Hinduism is an entirely different religion then Islam.

AND Hinduism has absolutely nothing to do with Jerusalem.

AND Historically, Hindus and Muslims have a long history of conflict.

Do you get it now? Or do I have to explain that there is a difference between Hinduism and Islam to you over and over again, just like I have to explain everything else to you multiple times before you understand it?


1. The great majority of the people in Bali aren't Muslims---they are Hindus. 2. Hindus don't care about Jerusalem.

Cheers!

[Outcast_Searcher]

The point is that, as I mentioned above, the rest of the Muslim world has aligned itself against the US because of one silly, meaningless gesture.

To be fair, I think the Muslim world is largely against us because we keep doing very stupid stuff in the Middle East and (at least to their eyes) interfering with Muslim affairs (and aligning with Israel, which they hate).

Instead, we should have been working to become energy independent since I started working, paying taxes, and paying attention in '81. Moving to gas taxes over time resembling Western Europe's to provide the right incentives, and using conservation and green energy (in more than name only) could have at least gotten us way further along. (People were caring about fuel efficiency re their cars in the early 80's for example. We could have really built on that).

And when we don't need Middle Eastern oil via being energy independent -- then we could make very different decisions re the Middle East and our geopolitical posture there.

...

I'm not saying what Trump did is a good thing, not by any means. But saying that it is the only or even primary reason that much of the Muslim world is against us is, IMO, overstating the case.

[rockdoc123]

1. The great majority of the people in Bali aren't Muslims---they are Hindus. 2. Hindus don't care about Jerusalem.

I guess you should tell that to the 22 families of people who were killed in the Bali bombing by Jemmah Islamiyah in 2005. They'll be happy to know that Bali follows the Hindu faith. Indonesia is rife with Muslim fanatics and they pretty much go anywhere in the country they please. Bali is a province in Indonesia and Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world. It is also the place where the word "amok" comes from. If you had spent any time there you would understand why that is.

[Plantagenet]

I guess you should tell that to the 22 families of people who were killed in the Bali bombing by Jemmah Islamiyah in 2005. They'll be happy to know that Bali follows the Hindu faith.

I can't imagine why you won't accept that the majority of people in Bali are Hindu, not Muslim.

The fact that Islamist terrorists attacked people in Bali doesn't make Bali Muslim, anymore then the recent Islamist terror attacks in Britain, France, Germany and New York make those places Muslim.

OK---this is the SECOND time I've had to explain to you that Bali is mainly Hindu---not Muslim.


Hey you, listen up! Bali isn't Muslim---its mainly Hindu.

Do you get it now?

Cheers!

[rockdoc123]

I can't imagine why you won't accept that the majority of people in Bali are Hindu, not Muslim.

The fact that Islamist terrorists attacked people in Bali doesn't make Bali Muslim, anymore then the recent Islamist terror attacks in Britain, France, Germany and New York make those places Muslim

Are you illiterate? Must be because I never claimed anywhere that Bali was Muslim. Here is exactly what I said dipshit:

Whether the Malay army could make a difference or not it is now just not the radicals in Acheh province or Bali that hate the US but also mainstream Malays (and Indonesians).

I mentioned radical islamists in Bali (which there clearly are) and made no claim that all of Bali was muslim. But Indonesia as a whole certainly is as is Malaysia.

[Cog]

No wonder DC is trying to get rid of Trump. A president who actually campaigned on an issue and followed through with it. Something DC is not at all known for. We will not let the rest of the world dictate US foreign policy. Especially that bunch of Anti-Semites known as the United Nations.