The Middle East’s Maze of Alliances

It’s increasingly difficult to navigate the web of transitory enemies and allies in the region.

by Victor Davis Hanson // National Review Online

 

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8 thoughts on “The Middle East’s Maze of Alliances”

  1. The Middle seems confusing – but in the end most of the muslim world is waiting for and will wellcome a real islamic state. So, if we the west are supporting one of them in the end we are supporting the islam. Better not to support one of them – or both sides. That would be real Realpolitik. May be Clinton could do that job. But not Obama. And Nixon is gone.

  2. “It’s increasingly difficult to navigate the web of transitory enemies and allies in the region”. If that is the case and if you’re going to go to war in the Middle East. If you want to win, be prepared for scorched earth policy. That means killing every man woman and child until the job is finished with the other side crying enough. War is killing as many people as you can in the shortest amount of time, that’s how you win. Otherwise stay home and appease.

    1. Thomas, your assessment is brutal. But unfortunately that is the only way to deal with a culture that uses civilians as shields, women and children as suicide bombers, and actively trains boys as young as 8 and 9 in explosives and to use AK 47s as warriors.

      1. When you can’t distinguish any longer between evil, really bad, and bad, it’s time to call in the exterminators. We need a military man right now that can take a cold, hard look at the Middle East and apply force and hardware where it is needed. We need Curtis Lemay squared at this moment. His scorched earth policy ended the war in Japan. The “bomb” was just an exclamation point.

        It really does sound terrible doesn’t it? And I believe it is what is needed. Obama foreign policy, such as it is now mandates it.

  3. Just like in this country, with Democrats, Republicans, Blacks, Mexicans, Illegal immigrants, LGBTs, It isn’t about freedom,democracy, and fairness. It is all about MONEY. American “interest” has it foundation in money, investment, draining the resources from the people of the Middle East, and paying off the leaders with our tax money, to get what they want in fortunes. The NEOCons are to make money in the US by going to war, boost the economy, right, just like the prelude to WWI and WWII.
    The fighting based on religious beliefs, in the Middle East is just a rallying call, for their leaders, just like in the American Civil War, it is and was about economics and MONEY, BUT the North had to make it “about slavery” to make it a moral cause to justify the terrible loss of life on both sides, and hide the real motivation behind it all.

    1. If everyone is so base as Thomas implies than the U.S. doesn’t have a chance of survival. Foreign policy is never simple because leaders wish to keep the peace and keep the citizens happy. Do I believe that we are engaged in the Middle East for the economy and neo-cons? NO. Read some of VDH’s blogs on the Middle East. I am a little intrigues with Michael Vlahos of Center for Naval Strategy and his thought that we should let the Middle East sort itself out. IN other words let them kill each other. Time for the Saudis to send the guys into the field. It is such a convoluted mess! Cut off Turkey, Iran and arm the Kurds and Israelis?

  4. There is only one thing in that part of the world that is respected and that’s the bullet that comes out of the barrel of a gun. I agree with Thomas and I think “Country Joe” MacDonald said it best, “..the only way that peace can be won, is when you’ve blown ’em all to kingdom come!” Life has always been cheap in the Middle East and all the “good feelings” in the world won’t change it.

  5. How does supporting Israel and the Kurds stop the terrorists from attacking us? Can the Israelis stop the Iranian bomb development?
    I say break all the Isis hardware and leave the Muslims to kill each other. That is the one thing at which they excel. Take our chances using intelligence and a sealed border. And support Israel and the Kurds. But get out of the ME as much as possible.

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