Thoughts from a US Citizen born in Egypt with a response from the Editor.
My Political Rant this week in light of the latest events. I’m so frustrated with all the ignorance and lack of knowledge I see in posts, especially the people who are forgetting recent history!
“We need to get out of the Middle East.”
Stop starting wars and if you care to know here is some background to what’s going on and some suggested solutions to terrorism in the Middle East, starting with a brief history: The Middle Eastern Rulers including the Shah of Iran, Saddam of Iraq, Mubarak of Egypt and Gaddafi of Libya were all secular, none religious and against extremists and their countries were functioning. Some have treated some of their minorities unfairly and some kept the wealth for the upper class, we are not strangers to that. However, we somehow decided to implement REGIME CHANGES without any plans for after those regimes change. So instead of putting continuous diplomatic and economic pressure on those secular rulers while they were still on our side to implement more reforms, we decided to interfere militarily and oust those rulers or help their opponents, or just turn a blind eye to their atrocities and not interfere at all.
Once those rulers were out, we were nowhere to help after the destructions of their countries. See what happened in Egypt, Libya and Iraq after taking out those secular yet oppressive regimes. We know how to blow things up but we don’t know how to put those countries back together, it’s not our job either. Let’s not start another war, you can’t defeat ideology with war.
The British supported the Wahabbis in the Middle East to get back at the Turks, the CIA stupidly supported the Muslim Brothers in the 60s to counter communism in the Middle East. Then the Muslim Mujahedeen in Afghanistan to counter the communist government there.
HERE IS HOW TO DEFEAT EXTREMISM AND NOT FALL INTO THE TRAP OF 30 PLUS YEARS OF WARS:
1- New thinking that MILITARY Actions wouldn’t work, especially if we have boots on the ground, ISIS will simply melt into the 500 Mil ppl in the Middle East until another faction is created to fill the power vacuum. Military solutions add oil to the fire, also encourage recruiting especially from western countries and more especially from the more disadvantaged class.
2- We can contain ISIS by cutting all supply and aid to ISIS, financial and moral support from Arab countries on western promises to follow up on democratic reforms after the war ends.
3- Get into direct negotiation with Assad, yes he’s brutal and uses gestapo tactics to rule his own people but he also protects minorities, seculars, Christians etc.
4- Sign a deal with the new Syrian government regarding the Iranian influence and Hezbollah!
5- Need to address the Middle East in general, because colonizing the Middle East and planting those governments started with the British and French colonies after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire.
A) Stop supporting the Wahhabi sect of Islam, stop supporting Saudi government, and gulf countries, regardless of their wealth and influence. Wahhabis are very small minorities and mostly a tribal belief in some Saudi Families that the British exploited to help to break the Ottoman Empire. Wahhabis’ are the worst, most regressive interpretation of that religion.
B) We have to support a 2 state Solution for Israeli/Palestinian in the Middle East. This requires a tremendous diplomatic effort! Will also help the EU and others to hold the Palestinian accountable for terrorism if it continues after the two states solution has been established. Israeli hard liners have to understand that war and police tactics won’t provide peace. They have 6 million Palestinians on their hands in the West Bank and Gaza and if they don’t give them voting rights or give them their own country then they are governing the last remaining apartheid!
C) A United Nations Mandate and a world support will have to be achieved to support major change to the Middle East.
D) Rich countries like China, Germany, Holland, the United States and Russia have to also cut relations with those regressive regimes in the Middle East. This requires a tremendous diplomatic effort and world unity.
6- Europeans have to get more involved, the US can’t protect the EU which has a higher GDP and higher living standards and expect us to keep spending on protecting them or addressing the problems in the Middle East then make fun of a war monger US. Yes George Dumb-ass W Bush has started the fuck up in Iraq and we are mostly responsible for a lot of the chaos, but before Bush and after him, Europe has always stayed passive while the US taxpayers, paid for the EU safety and well being! Nato countries are supposed to spend 2% of their GDP on their military, but they are nowhere near that!
7- Frankly, Obama has been doing great to try to keep us out of tribal wars of the Middle East, but he’s also under great pressure from war mongers to get us into endless wars! Let’s be smart like him, protect our boarders while we get involved in a global effort to improve the wellbeing of others.
Response from the Editor:
Not all bad. His history is correct. I would add we armed Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan against the Russians. We also allied with Stalin in WW II. His “how to” is somewhat unrealistic in some places.
1 by 1:
1- Military action does not work… ALONE. A definitive and successful economy must be put in place. Radical Islam is only attractive when you can’t feed your family or take your child to the doctor. Establish and leave behind a thriving economy and ISIS, or anyone else, won’t seem so attractive.
2- correct.
3- You can’t talk to Assad. You have to talk to Putin.
4- Syria is firmly under Russian and Iranian control. Any new government will be established only with their consent.
5- A- correct.
5- B- Unrealistic- weakest statement here. First, a 2 state solution is only possible when BOTH sides want it. When one side launches rockets on to the other, insists on changing the borders to become indefensible to the other, sanctions lone terrorists, elects a terrorist group, Hamas, as its official representative (read the Hamas Charter and learn what its goal for Israel is— it’s not 2 states), a 2 state solution does not seem viable in the near future. Here is where we really part ways. I am completely dumbfounded by your implication that Israel somehow controls voting rights in Gaza, or Israel, alone, can give them their own country. First, if you ask Abbas, they already have their own country. How else could they be seeking UN membership? Second, Arabs in Israel practice freedom of religion, earn livings, educate their children, own homes, and hold political office— apartheid?? Really? How many Muslim states can say the same for Jews? Now, tell me, who practices apartheid??
5- C- The UN is useless.
5- D- Nice idea, but unrealistic. The US and Russia agree?? Cmon man!
6- Largely correct. The Iraq war was a bad idea because it took away Iran’ nemesis. As ruthless as he was, Saddam Hussein kept Iran in check. Iran would not be the nuclear threat or the largest sponsor of terrorism on the planet if the Iraq war never happened. I would add one more idea for your consideration. As long as we’re applying epithets to presidents, that lying, incompetent Obama couldn’t even establish a Status of Forces Agreement in Iraq. That’s why America had to leave. It’s his repeated policy of leaving means winning. You may not like it but Bush won the war and Obama lost the peace.
7- What!! Obama has been great?!! What color is the sun in your universe? Today, 11/16, in Turkey, the mainstream media became exasperated when he was asked several times if he would change his failing, no-strategy policy towards ISIS. Of course, he became exasperated when they just wouldn’t understand the answer is NO! His lies, arrogance, and incompetence may finally be catching up with him. Last year, he declared ISIS to be JV. Last Friday, he declared them “contained.” Two months ago he announced he had no strategy. Today he announced his strategy “was winning.” And who can forget “climate change is a greater threat than terrorism.” Maybe the President should listen to Lt Gen Mike Flynn, former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Mr President, “Get real and read the damn intel.”
Finally, I agree. You can’t win this war against Radical Islam with military ops alone. You can’t kill an idea by killing people. Winning this war has many tentacles. A multi-national effort that creates a thriving economy, a stable political structure, and an education system that emphasizes the beauty of Islam and exposes its radical wing for the evil cult it is, and you have a chance to change the world. Realistically, this would require American leadership.
Right, wrong, fair, unfair, like it or not, that’s the way it’s been for 200 years. And, of course, for that leadership to surface, America needs a leader. OOPS! Never mind.
“You may not like it but Bush won the war and Obama lost the peace.”
