The prospect of Iran having a direct corridor to its borders, and even military facilities inside Syria, not to mention the possibility of being able to link up directly with Hezbollah, is Israel’s current nightmare – and it has started issuing explicit warnings to this effect
The conflict in Syria seems to be hotting up again, just as it should be cooling down. Today US forces launched air strikes – the first for some time – in support of rebel forces that had come under Syrian government attack in a disputed area near the Iraqi border. Just a few days before, the UK minister for the Middle East, Alistair Burt, expressed “deep concern” about reports of chlorine attacks on the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta outside Damascus – phrasing that sounded very like an attempt to revive flagging public support for the rebel cause.
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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- February 8, 2018
The Next Phase of America’s War in Syria -- Danny Sjursen, RCD
For US in Syria, end game gets murkier as IS shrinks -- Robert Burns, AP
Cynicism in Syria -- Dominique Moisi, The Strategist
Syria's civil war explained from the beginning -- Al Jazeera
Saudis see opportunities in helping to rebuild Iraq -- Mustafa Saadoun, Al-Monitor
How a disputed oil and gas field could be the last straw for Israel and Lebanon -- Chirine Mouchantaf, Defense News
Women in Saudi Arabia have a long way to go in order to be free, says Manal al-Sharif -- Thomas Oriti and Laura Brierley Newton, ABC News Online
North Korea, Myanmar in a sanctions-busting embrace -- Bertil Lintner, Asia Times
Analysis: As Olympics begin, 2 Koreas navigate an odd moment -- Foser Klug and Eric Talmadge, AP
Mashaal Radio shutdown: Is Pakistan suppressing foreign media? -- Shah Meer Baloch, DW
Could global nationalism drive some countries into the arms of China? -- Sebastian Sprenger, Defense News
Germany's new government: Same old story for environment? -- Martin Kuebler, DW
What Trump gets wrong about Mexico -- Andrés Martinez, Reuters
Venezuela election could trigger deeper sanctions, exiles -- Scott Smith, AP
Military Parades Are a Waste of Time and Money -- Andrew Exum, The Atlantic
President Trump's military parade plan is a brilliant political move -- Jake Noval, CNBC
2 comments:
"Iran is extending its regional power in Syria - this is Israel's worst nightmare." I will read the article time permitting. With that said I cannot disagree with the headline.
While I have come to expect pathological insanity from the US government, I would have expected much better from Israel who has faced acute existential threats from the very day the modern nation was born. When the uprising during the "Arab Spring" first occurred that attempted to topple the Assad government in 2011 first occurred, I predicted it would fail. Even if Assad did not crush it outright I knew it would fail as I patiently pointed out the Russians would not allow their ally to be deposed. All of this was easily predictable.
Had America and its "allies" simply stayed out of the way and allowed nature to take its course, Assad wins and wins very quickly, many lives are spared, and intensive involvement by the likes of Russia and Iran are unnecessary. In such a situation, Israel is not dealing with an Iran and its allies encroaching to its borders, Assad's forces are now battle hardened in ways they would not have been otherwise, Russian involvement would have been limited to non existent in a direct fashion, and the Russian forces would not be battle hardened and tested to the level they are now.
To add insult to stupidity the "rebels" we were/are supporting are a mixture of Al Qaeda/ISIS sycophants who contribute nothing of value to us and are actually not compatible with any of our interests. They are certainly not worth our support and they are not worth inflaming tensions with a major world power. Essentially this policy has undermined Israel's security in ways that are difficult to fathom and it was all easily predictable. What were they thinking in getting on board with this?
I say "easily predictable." Unfortunately, while I knew immediately that this was a stupid idea on the part of the US government I did not realize just how bad this would end up. Stable and focused countries and people do not do stupid in this manner.
@B.Poster
Say thanks to Obama and his snowflakes. And he obviously did all of this knowingly, to weaken the US.
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