[SeaGypsy]

Not me. Looks similarly confused to the Obama/Kerry/Cinton positions in general on the ME.

[ROCKMAN]

Gypsy – It was on one of the major networks but I flip around a lot while getting dressed. And then last night heard an even more discouraging story about Fallujah. The stories about the “raging” fight there may be a bit exaggerated…the fight appears to be over and AQ is in control. They had video of the AQ flag flying over the town and the boys wondering around like they were on R&R. What they didn’t say was where those AQ came from: foreign or local Iraqis. The truly bitter part of the story was going over the number of US Marines killed and wounded taking Fallujah.

Given how the situation is developing I don’t think I would count on a lot of increase in Iraq oil with the possible exception of the Kurd controlled area.

[Keith_McClary]

What they didn’t say was where those AQ came from: foreign or local Iraqis.

The Iraq-Syria border is one of those lines drawn on the map without asking the locals, like the "Durand Line" through Pashtun turf.

[Keith_McClary]

Is Iran the United States' new best friend in the Middle East?

The New York Times reports that while the US and Iran “quietly continue to pursue their often conflicting interests, they are being drawn together by their mutual opposition to an international movement of young Sunni fighters, who with their pickup trucks and Kalashnikovs are raising the black flag of Al Qaeda along sectarian fault lines in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen.” On Monday, Iran offered to join the US in sending military aid to the Iraqi government, which is engaged in a fierce struggle to oust Sunni militants from Iraq's Anbar province.

With Iran as an island of stability in a region plagued by violent protests, sectarian clashes and suicide bombers, there are not that many options left for Washington, experts here say.

“We face the same enemy, and the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” said Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, a prominent Iranian reformist journalist who closely follows the Arab world. He recalled how Iranian intelligence operatives gave reliable information to American Special Forces troops battling Iran’s enemy, the Afghan Taliban, in 2001.
...

“The Americans are confessing Iran stands for peace and stability in this region,” Hamid Reza Tarraghi, a hard-line political analyst told The New York Times. “But when they invite us for a conference on Syria we are ‘allowed’ to be present on the ‘sidelines.’ This is insulting.”

[Subjectivist]

Is Iran the United States' new best friend in the Middle East?

The New York Times reports that while the US and Iran “quietly continue to pursue their often conflicting interests, they are being drawn together by their mutual opposition to an international movement of young Sunni fighters, who with their pickup trucks and Kalashnikovs are raising the black flag of Al Qaeda along sectarian fault lines in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen.” On Monday, Iran offered to join the US in sending military aid to the Iraqi government, which is engaged in a fierce struggle to oust Sunni militants from Iraq's Anbar province.

With Iran as an island of stability in a region plagued by violent protests, sectarian clashes and suicide bombers, there are not that many options left for Washington, experts here say.

“We face the same enemy, and the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” said Mashallah Shamsolvaezin, a prominent Iranian reformist journalist who closely follows the Arab world. He recalled how Iranian intelligence operatives gave reliable information to American Special Forces troops battling Iran’s enemy, the Afghan Taliban, in 2001.
...

“The Americans are confessing Iran stands for peace and stability in this region,” Hamid Reza Tarraghi, a hard-line political analyst told The New York Times. “But when they invite us for a conference on Syria we are ‘allowed’ to be present on the ‘sidelines.’ This is insulting.”

This has to be one of the strangest twists of all time, two countries that have been in proxy wars for 35 years are suddenly pals. It is just bizzare.

[ROCKMAN]

"It is just bizzare." We're all thinking it so I'll say it: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." But the problem develops when your old friend becomes your enemy and you then have to be friendly with his old enemy you once helped him fight against. Oh sure...this is a game the US is really good at. LOL.

[Subjectivist]

Oh Sure, Germany was a great friend in 1913, then an enemy from 1917 to 1945. Russia was our ally from 1783-1917, our enemy from 1918 until 1941, then our allie until 1946, then our enemy again until 1989...

We really shouldn't play at these games, we are really bad at it.

[Timo]

How long until the KSA isn't our friend anymore?

[ROCKMAN]

Timo - And some of never consider the KSA to be a friend. Just like a "friendly" bartender who keeps his alcoholic customer's glass filled isn't really his friend.

[Timo]

Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.

[ROCKMAN]

Timo - So true. But keep too close to your enemies and you're likely to step in their sh*t. Same true with your friends sometimes, unfortunately.

[SeaGypsy]

"Which murderous hideous Jihadi Salafist scum are we supporting this week?"

All these intricacies of networks bring unnecessary complexity to what should be an obvious outside position: If your group or a group you support goes around summarily executing prisoners and fighting war on a no limits, no prisoners, no mercy footing- where there is not a shred of doubt that your group openly, boastingly and threateningly displaying your beheadings, shootings and stonings, kangaroo Sharia courts- you get no support full stop. This makes virtually all organised Muslim groups in the MENA off limits to support forthwith. Any other action implies a moral turpitude by governments of any persuasion.

[Keith_McClary]

How long until the KSA isn't our friend anymore?

Several high-ranking Saudi and Chinese officials including Prince Saud Al-Faisal, minister of foreign affairs, attended the talks.
...
Addressing a press conference after his talks at the Conference Palace here, Wang said: “China is working closely with its allies in the Middle East including Saudi Arabia to ensure peace and security in the region.”
...
“China’s relations with the Kingdom are not limited to the energy sector … in fact, China is cooperating with Riyadh in several areas including politics, regional affairs and the railway sector.”
Wang said he also met GCC Secretary General Abdullateef Al-Zayani to discuss regional issues and growing GCC-Sino relations.
Wang said Beijing wants to “expand economic, trade and investment relations” with GCC countries.
Asked about his talks with Prince Saud, he said China and Saudi Arabia have excellent ties in politics, commerce and energy security.
In an earlier briefing, Dean Li Lianghua, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy, told Arab News that Saudi Arabia is China’s largest energy supplier, accounting for about 20 percent of Chinese crude oil imports.
Arab News
(Prince Salman's son Turki bin Salman Al Saud is owner of the paper)

I seem to remember that the Saudi royals and other poo-bahs used to be referred to in the US MSM as "moderate leaders". I haven't seen this lately. Is that a hint?

[SeaGypsy]

The Al Qaeda-linked rebel group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIS, which has recently been making inroads in Syria, has reported a crucial defeat at the hands of another group of Islamist rebels, according to reports.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says ISIS has been driven out of its headquarters in the northern city of Aleppo, where there are "hardly any members left".

"ISIS withdrew from the Inzarat area after clashes with fighters from rebel... brigades, and the post office building was taken over by Islamist rebel fighters" who had been battling ISIS, the British-based group said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-09/a ... eb/5191482

Not the Iraq government- another bunch of headcutters.

[Vogelzang]

We programmed the Shiites and Sunnis to kill each other, thus saving us the cost and trouble, and besides, they think they're getting 70 virgins and a bottle of whiskey a day.....

[ROCKMAN]

V - "We programmed the Shiites and Sunnis to kill each other". I'm not the strongest historian around but I'm pretty sure they were killing each other long before "we" existed. Of course, that didn't prevent us from tossing a little oil on the fire.

[ROCKMAN]

First it was the breakup of Sudan brought on by the control of oil. The Iraq govt and the Kurds have a developing situation. And in the future when we speak of “Libyan” production the question may be which Libya? And if Libya goes to war with Libya over oil I wonder which side the US will sell weapons to? Oh heck…no point in playing favorites: sell to both sides and let Dog sort them out.

Next thing you know we may be talking about Alberta becoming the 51st state. Heck…we can swap them Maine…that way we won’t have to change the flag.

Reuters - Libya's self-declared eastern government of Cyrenaica will ensure the safety of tankers using the major oil export terminal of Es Sider, it said in a letter circulated to oil traders on Tuesday. The letter, under the header of the self-declared government's newly established Libya Oil and Gas Corp, said that "our security escort will begin upon entry into Libyan territorial waters until exit of Libyan territorial waters."

The statement added that "any warning or statement by NOC (National Oil Corp) or Central Libyan government is considered as not applicable to Cyrenaica." Officials of the self-declared government were not immediately available for comment.

[Subjectivist]

First it was the breakup of Sudan brought on by the control of oil. The Iraq govt and the Kurds have a developing situation. And in the future when we speak of “Libyan” production the question may be which Libya? And if Libya goes to war with Libya over oil I wonder which side the US will sell weapons to? Oh heck…no point in playing favorites: sell to both sides and let Dog sort them out.

Next thing you know we may be talking about Alberta becoming the 51st state. Heck…we can swap them Maine…that way we won’t have to change the flag.

Reuters - Libya's self-declared eastern government of Cyrenaica will ensure the safety of tankers using the major oil export terminal of Es Sider, it said in a letter circulated to oil traders on Tuesday. The letter, under the header of the self-declared government's newly established Libya Oil and Gas Corp, said that "our security escort will begin upon entry into Libyan territorial waters until exit of Libyan territorial waters."

The statement added that "any warning or statement by NOC (National Oil Corp) or Central Libyan government is considered as not applicable to Cyrenaica." Officials of the self-declared government were not immediately available for comment.

The problem is Libya, like so much of Africa and Asia/Middle East was created by Europeans with arbitrary lines drawn on a not too terribly accurate map. This was especially true during the early 20th century when old colonial Empires were divided up between the victors in World War I.

[ROCKMAN]

sub - Yep...the rest of the world didn't pay much attention when it was one tribe fighting another tribe over a pile of sand. Now the battle is over oil/NG and the world has suddenly decided it needs to become more "engaged". Like exporting democracy to some of them. Or at least weapons that will help solidify their rightful claims. Rightful if they are on the proper delivery side. Of course, there are multiple and conflicting delivery sides. And that, of course, leads to multiple "engagements".

[SeaGypsy]

The United States has delivered a rare rebuke to Israel over reported comments about US secretary of state John Kerry that describe him as messianic.

Israel's defence minister Moshe Yaalon has been reported describing Mr Kerry as acting out of misplaced obsessions and Messiah-like fervour in his advocacy of Middle East peace proposals.

"Secretary of state John Kerry - who has come to us determined and is acting out of an incomprehensible obsession and a messianic feeling - cannot teach me a single thing about the conflict with the Palestinians," the biggest-selling daily Yedioth Ahronoth quoted Mr Yaalon as saying behind closed doors.

"The only thing that can save us is if Kerry wins the Nobel prize and leaves us alone....

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-15/i ... re/5200466