What To Expect After Iran And Saudi Arabia Agreed To Restore Ties

 

Al Jazeera: What to expect after Iran, Saudi Arabia agree to restore ties  

The deal could have wide-ranging consequences but building on it, analysts say, will prove the main challenge. 

Tehran, Iran – Iran and Saudi Arabia have agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations in a China-brokered deal that could have wide-ranging consequences but building on it, analysts say, will prove the main challenge. 

The agreement signed in Beijing on Friday said the two countries’ foreign ministers will meet to discuss diplomatic missions within two months, marking the end of a seven-year rift. 

In Iran, the deal was generally welcomed, with senior officials praising it as a step towards reducing tensions and bolstering regional security. Conservative media outlets mainly focused on how the deal signalled a “defeat” for the United States and Israel.  

Read more ....  

Update: FACTBOX-Middle East flashpoints that could be affected by Saudi-Iran deal (Reuters)  

WNU Editor: I think the first thing that is going to happen is the start of talks between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen to end the war. I expect this to happen in the coming weeks. 

 I also expect this rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia will lower Sunni - Shiite tensions in Iraq and Lebanon. 

The US military presence in Syria is soon going to be untenable as supply lines become tighter. I will be surprised if they are still there in two years. It also explains why General Milley was in Syria last week visiting US troops. The Pentagon must know that their troops are becoming more and more isolated. 

Turkey will need to respond to this new realignment in the Middle East. Turks go to the polls in two months. If Erdogan is re-elected for another term, he will definitely move to position his country to be more focused on what is happening in his backyard. The outcome from the ongoing Russia - Ukraine is important for Turkey, but this decision by Iran and Saudi Arabia is going to impact Turkey's vital strategic interests in Syria and Iraq. 

I also expect a de-escalation by Iran in its nuclear program. For Saudi Arabia to agree to this deal, they had to receive reassurances from China and Russia that Iran will limit (if not stop) its nuclear weapons program. Only time will tell if this will happen.

Israeli Linked Oil Tanker Hit By Suspected Bomb-Carrying Iranian Drone Off The Coast Of Oman

Satellite-tracking showed the Pacific Zircon located off the coast of Oman

Pacific Zircon Image via Vessel Finder  

Daily Mail: Israel accuses Iran of attacking tanker off Oman using same kind of kamikaze drone sent by Tehran to help Russia pound Ukraine 

* The attack on the oil tanker is thought to have happened on Tuesday night 

* The oil tanker has since been identified as the Liberian-flagged Pacific Zircon 

* It is operated by a shipping company owned by the Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer 

An oil tanker associated with an Israeli billionaire has been struck by a bomb-carrying drone off the coast of Oman amid heightened tensions with Iran. 

An Israeli official told Reuters that Iran was behind the incident, using a Shahed-136 drone - the type it has been supplying to Russia for the conflict in Ukraine. 

The attack on the Liberian-flagged Pacific Zircon oil tanker happened on Tuesday night.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: The U.S. is blaming Iran .... U.S. Blames Iran for Drone Attack on Tanker Near Oman (USNI News), and so is Israel .... Israel accuses Iran of drone attack on oil tanker off Oman coast (CNN). 

The price of oil has remained unchanged .... Oil prices steady after attack on oil tanker off Oman coast (Reuters). 

Israeli Linked Oil Tanker Hit By Suspected Bomb-Carrying Iranian Drone Off The Coast Of Oman  

Official says oil tanker hit by bomb-carrying drone off Oman -- CNBC  

Israel blames Iran as 'drone strike' hits tanker off Oman -- France 24  

Suspicion falls on Iran as oil tanker "hit by a projectile" off Oman -- CBS/AP  

Oil tanker owned by Israeli billionaire hit by 'projectile' -- DW  

Shipping Firm Says Projectile Hit Tanker Off Coast of Oman -- VOA  

Oil tanker hit by armed drone off coast of Oman: Official -- Al Jazeera

UAE, Bahrain, Israel And US Conduct First Joint Naval Exercises

A US Navy drone flies over as Royal Bahrain Naval Force (RBNF) Abdulrahman Al Fadhel takes part in joint naval exercise between US 5th Fleet Command and Bahraini forces, on 26 October 2021 (AFP)  

Times of Israel: Israel, UAE, Bahrain, US hold major Red Sea drill ‘to counter Iran’s aggression’ 

Naval exercise represents first public military cooperation between Jerusalem and Manama; comes amid growing tensions with Tehran at sea 

The navies of Israel, the United States, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain launched a joint exercise in the Red Sea this week, in response to their shared adversary Iran’s presence and aggression in the waters of the Middle East, a senior Israeli naval official said. 

“This [Iranian] presence is something that we need to push back as much as possible from the State of Israel, from the Red Sea, from the areas that harm our freedom to sail… In order to do that, we need to make our partnerships tighter,” the senior officer told reporters on Thursday evening, speaking on condition of anonymity.  

Read more .... 

More News On The UAE, Bahrain, Israel And US Conduct First Joint Naval Exercises  

UAE, Bahrain, Israel and US conduct first joint naval exercises following normalisation -- Middle East Eye 

IDF official says navy drill with UAE, Bahrain, U.S. 'direct message' to Iran -- YNet News  

Naval war drill: Israel, US, UAE, Bahrain hold first joint sea exercise -- Jerusalem Post  

US, Israel, UAE, Bahrain launch joint naval drills in Red Sea -- Al Jazeera  

US begins first joint naval drill with Israel, UAE, Bahrain -- The Hill Israel holds first navy drills with ‘frenemies’ from Persian Gulf -- RT

'Potential Hijack' Of An Oil Tanker Off The Coast Of The United Arab Emirates Is Over

 

Daily Mail: Oil tanker 'hijacked by Iranian forces' off the coast of UAE is now safe and boarders have left the vessel 

* Suspected hijacking of oil tanker off the coast of UAE is now over, UK has said 

* 'Boarders have left the vessel. Vessel is safe. Incident complete,' a statement from Britain's maritime safety agency said, without elaborating 

* It was thought the ship, identified as tanker Asphalt Princess, had been boarded by armed men with links to Iran or one of its proxies 

* Iran denied involvement, and it is still not clear who raiders were or why they left 

An oil tanker thought to have been hijacked off the coast of the UAE is now safe after boarders left the vessel, the UK's maritime security agency has said. 

'Boarders have left the vessel. Vessel is safe. Incident complete,' a brief warning notice issued Wednesday by United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said. 

Tracking data showed the vessel - believed to be the Panama-flagged Asphalt Princess, located 60 miles from the port of Fujairah - is now 'underway using engine' having previously shown it was 'stopped'.  

Read more ....  

Update: Hijacking ends in Arabian Sea, says UKMTO, as Oman identifies tanker involved (Reuters)  

WNU Editor: This is a very strange incident. I am sure more details will be made public in the coming days, but it illustrates how tense the situation has become between Israel and Iran.

Reports Say Iran Has Seized One (Maybe Two) Ships Off The Coast Of UAE In The Gulf Of Oman

Middle East Eye: UK warns of 'potential hijack' of ship off UAE coast 

Incident comes days after an alleged Iranian attack on an Israeli-owned cargo ship in Omani waters 

The UK reported a "potential hijack" of a ship off the coast of the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, days after an alleged Iranian attack on an Israeli-owned cargo ship. 

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a part of the Ministry of Defence, described the incident which occured around 100km east of of the Fujairah as a "potential hijack". 

Sky News, citing a security source, reported that a group of eight or nine armed individuals are believed to have boarded the vessel, named Asphalt Princess.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: This caught my eye in the above Middle East Eye report .... 

 .... Earlier in the day, four oil tankers reported that they were "not under command", which usually means that a vessel has lost power and cannot steer. One of the ships later began moving, the Associated Press news agency reported. 

This is an ongoing event. Updates Will be posed when more news is available.

More News On Reports That A Ship Has Been Hijacked In The Gulf Of Oman  

Iran-backed forces believed to have seized tanker off UAE coast, maritime security sources say -- YNet News  

Iran suspected of carrying out hijack off UAE coast -- Jerusalem Post/Reuters

'Potential hijack' as armed attackers believed to have seized tanker off UAE coast -- SKY News  

2 ships off UAE in Gulf of Oman warn they've lost control -- FOX News

Update: Reports now say Iran is behind this seizure .... Ship is 'hijacked' by 'Iranian forces' off the UAE coast just days after Iranian kamikaze drone strike in the Gulf (Daily Mail).

Bloc Of Nations Meet To Counter Tensions With Turkey

Middle East Eye: 'An anti-Turkey alliance': Ankara slams Greece for hosting 'hostile' meeting with regional countries 

Turkey brands Athens meeting between Greece and six other nations an attempt to form an alliance against it 

Turkey has slammed a forum hosted by Greece in Athens along with six other nations, declaring it an attempt to form a “hostile” alliance against Ankara. 

The Turkish Foreign Ministry specifically named Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, accusing him of "slandering" Turkey at the meeting, which took place in Athens with the participation of Egypt, France, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Cyprus. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: The Ministers from Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and France participated in this summit. 

 More News On Seven Nations Meeting To Counter Tensions With Turkey 

Greece seeks Gulf allies to counter tension with Turkey -- AP 

7 countries meet in Greece to discuss Mediterranean gas, Gulf states take part -- Middle East Monitor Mediterranean countries hold ‘Friendship Forum’ without Turkey -- Ahval (Turkey) 

Ankara slams anti-Turkey alliance meeting in Athens -- Daily Sabah

Middle East Oil Producers Are Drowning In Debt

Flames rise from burning excess of hydrocarbons at Nahr Bin Omar natural gas field in Iraq (AFP)

OilPrice.com: Middle East Oil Producers Are Drowning In Debt 

Arab Gulf oil producers are losing billions of U.S. dollars from oil revenues this year due to the pandemic that crippled oil demand and oil prices. Because of predominantly oil-dependent government incomes, budget deficits across the region are soaring. 

Middle East’s oil exporters rushed to raise taxes and cut spending earlier this year, but these measures were insufficient to contain the damage. 

The major oil producers in the Gulf then rushed to raise debt via sovereign and corporate debt issuance. Bond issues in the region have already hit US$100 billion, exceeding the previous record amount of bonds issued in 2019. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: 2021 is not going to get better. The Covid-19 vaccine may be coming, but the economic costs of this pandemic are horrific. It is going to take a long time before the global economy and oil markets recover to their pre-Covid-19 numbers.

Rulers Of Saudi Arabia And Kuwait Are Hospitalized

Bloomberg: Rulers of Oil-Rich Saudi Arabia and Kuwait Are Hospitalized

King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia has been admitted to a hospital in Riyadh early Monday for medical tests, the second elderly ruler of an oil-rich Gulf Arab nation to be hospitalized in less than a week.

The 84-year-old monarch was undergoing medical tests at King Faisal Specialist Hospital after being diagnosed with an inflamed gallbladder, state-run Saudi Press Agency reported, citing a statement from the royal court. There were no further details about his condition.

On Sunday, Kuwait abruptly announced that its 91-year-old emir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, was admitted to hospital the previous day for checkups and underwent a “successful surgery.” Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah temporarily assumed some of his functions and duties.

The hospitalizations of these elderly rulers add to the uncertainty that’s beset these leading oil producers as they try to battle the twin crises of crude market turmoil and the coronavirus pandemic.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: More signs of change coming to the Middle East.

Persian Gulf Rulers In Peril As Economic Shocks Continue

Saudi Arabia is being blamed for the instability in the oil markets following its move in March to force prices down (AFP)

Middle East Monitor: 'Dangerous crossroads': Gulf rulers in peril as economic shocks continue

Drop in oil prices and hit from coronavirus are exposing unwise policies and raising fears of a plunge into violence

Nearly two months ago, before the global spread of the coronavirus, Riyadh made a bold gambit to slash oil prices.

The Saudis knew it was going to hit their bottom line – their break-even oil price to balance the budget – but they did not foresee such a dramatic slump in demand as the global economy ground to a halt.

Economists described the impact on Middle Eastern economies as a “dual shock”.

Last week, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil, the US benchmark for the commodity, entered negative price territory for the first time in history, economically impacting Gulf oil producers yet again, albeit in a lesser, but third shock.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: All of the Gulf states are facing the same crisis, their financial revenue streams have collapsed .... Saudi Arabia blows through foreign reserves as budget woes mount (Al Jazeera). And with oil producers now producing 30 to 40 million barrels per day that the world does not need, these price and economic shocks are going to continue for a long time. My prediction. Stability in oil prices will only occur when the pandemic is over, and the global economy recovers. At best .... I see this only happening late 2021 or even 2022. Can these Gulf rulers survive until then? We shall see.

Red Cross Fears The Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic Could Cause Upheaval Across Th e Middle East

Reuters: Coronavirus could cause upheaval across Middle East - Red Cross

The Red Cross fear the twin threat of an outbreak in a conflict zone and socio-economic disruption in a region where millions are already destitute

* Millions in strife-torn region already lack food, water - ICRC
* COVID-19 outbreaks threaten region's poor, prisoners, refugees
* First supplies reach 10 prisons in Syria, ICRC tells Reuters

Coronavirus outbreaks across the Middle East threaten to shatter the lives of millions of already destitute people in conflict zones, and could fuel socio-economic upheaval, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Thursday.

Curfews and lockdowns imposed as public health measures to stem spread of the virus are already making it difficult or impossible for many to provide for their families, it said.

The Geneva-based agency called for authorities in the volatile region to prepare for a "potentially devastating aftermath" and a "socio-economic earthquake".

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Here is a good report on the economic impact that the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic is having on the Middle East .... COVID-19 & Middle Eastern Countries: Impact Assessment and Forecast Through 2019-2025 for Energy, Food & Beverage, Aviation, Chemical, Retail & e-Commerce, Travel & Tourism, and Other Sectors (ResearchAndMarkets.com). In the meantime, governments in the Middle East are cracking down on the media that is covering these stories .... Coronavirus: Middle East states crack down on media freedom (Middle East Eye).

IMF Report: The Financial Wealth Of The Oil-Rich Gulf States Will Be Gone In 15 Years

Gulf News: GCC’s financial wealth could be depleted by 2034: IMF

Oil exporters need to fine tune fiscal policies in line with oil market realities

Dubai: The GCC countries that account for a fifth of the world’s oil production need to urgently adapt their fiscal policies to the reality of lower oil prices in the longer term, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in a Staff Report on Thursday.

The report, ‘The Future of Oil and Fiscal Sustainability in the GCC Region’ noted that oil market is undergoing a fundamental change. New technologies are increasing the supply of oil from old and new sources, while rising concerns over the environment are seeing the world gradually moving away from oil. This spells a significant challenge for oil-exporting countries of GCC who account for a fifth of the world’s oil production.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I still believe that oil demand and production will continue to increase in the coming years, but the warning signs that change is coming are there .... Global oil demand to peak around 2040 or ‘much sooner,’ IMF says (CNBC).

More News On The IMF Report That Is Claiming That The Financial Wealth Of The Oil-Rich Gulf States Will Be Gone In 15 Years

IMF: Oil-rich Gulf Arab states may spend savings in 15 years -- Seattle Times/AP
Gulf's financial wealth could be over in 15 years: IMF -- Reuters
IMF urges acceleration of GCC reforms for post-oil future -- The National
Without reforms, Gulf oil wealth could vanish by 2034: IMF -- AFP

Middle Eastern And African Leaders See A Bleak Future

GPI

Reuters: Middle East leaders paint 'dark picture' at Rome conference

ROME (Reuters) - When Italy organized a conference focused on the Middle East, the Gulf and North Africa, it promised to look beyond the turmoil roiling the region and instead promote a “positive agenda”.

But many of the 45 heads of state, ministers and business leaders who attended the event over the past three days saw little future cheer.

Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, captured the gloom, bemoaning “a lack of wisdom” in the region, with “no hope” on hand for ordinary people hoping for an end to years of conflict, upheaval and sectarianism.

“Maybe I have presented a dark picture, but it is not as dark as I have explained, it is darker,” said Thani, whose country is suffering an economic blockade by its Arab neighbors, which accuse Qatar of supporting terrorism.

Qatar denies the accusations and the crisis has pushed the tiny, gas-rich state closer to Shi‘ite Muslim Iran, the regional rival to Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia.

The foreign ministers of both Iran and Saudi Arabia addressed the conference, taking turns to trade barbs.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: A culture of corruption, authoritarianism, tribalism, religious intolerance and extremism, coupled with rigid economic and political structures .... with no real political or societal will to change it .... so yes .... a bleak picture it definitely is.

A Sunni-Arab - Iran Rapprochement?

Kuwait's Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khaled al-Hamad al-Sabah

Reuters: Kuwait to deliver message to Iran on dialogue with Gulf Arab states

Kuwait's foreign minister will make a rare visit to Tehran on Wednesday to deliver a message to President Hassan Rouhani on a "basis of dialogue" between Gulf Arab states and arch-rival Iran, Kuwait's state news agency reported.

The visit comes days after Rouhani said countries including Kuwait had offered to mediate in the escalating feud between Shi'ite Muslim Iran and Sunni power Saudi Arabia.

Kuwaiti news agency KUNA quoted Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled al-Sabah as saying relations between Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) of six Arab states "must be based on the UN Charter and principles of international law".

Iran and Saudi Arabia, the dominant member of the GCC, back opposite sides in civil wars in Syria and Yemen.

Read more ....

Update: Kuwait FM due in Iran soon to relay [P]GCC message: Report (Press TV).

WNU Editor: It looks like the Gulf states want to make a deal.

Poll: There Is A Huge Middle Eastern Sectarian Divide On Views Of Saudi Arabia, Iran

PEW Research: The Middle East’s sectarian divide on views of Saudi Arabia, Iran

The recent execution of Shia leader Nimr al-Nimr, along with dozens of other prisoners, by the Saudi Arabian government has sparked a furor in the Middle East. The storming of the Saudi Embassy amid protests in Iran, a predominantly Shia Muslim nation with long-standing animosity toward predominantly Sunni Saudi Arabia, has led to the cutting of diplomatic ties between the two powers. Saudi allies in the region, such as Bahrain, have followed suit.

The tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran are often characterized as sectarian – that is, Iran and its Shia allies versus Saudi Arabia and its Sunni brethren. And this characterization plays out to a large degree in public attitudes toward the two countries in five Middle Eastern nations Pew Research Center surveyed in spring 2015. In Jordan, a predominantly Sunni Muslim nation, 78% of the public have a favorable view of Saudi Arabia, compared with only 8% who have a positive opinion of Iran.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: There are many interpretations and opinions on why this divide exists, here is one of them .... The real roots of Sunni-Shia conflict: beyond the myth of "ancient religious hatreds" (Max Fisher, VOX). As to what's my take .... there are many reasons on why the Middle East is deeply divided .... tribalism, ethnicity, politics, economics, culture .... but religion is definitely on the top (or near it).

Shiite Clerics And Politicians Are Now Predicting The Overthrow Of Saudi Arabia's Ruling Family

Former Iraqi Prime Minister, Nuri al-Maliki

The Independent: Nimr al-Nimr execution: Former Iraq PM al-Maliki says death will 'topple Saudi regime'

Elsewhere, demonstrators carrying pictures of the Shi’ite cleric were involved in a clash with police in the Bahraini village of Abu-Saiba.

The former prime minister of Iraq, Nuri al-Maliki, has said that the execution of the prominent Shi'ite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr by Saudi Arabia will be the downfall of the Gulf kingdom's government.

Mr al-Maliki, who was prime minister of Iraq between 2006 and 2014, said in a statement that his countrymen "strongly condemn these detestable sectarian practices and affirm that the crime of executing Sheikh al-Nimr will topple the Saudi regime as the crime of executing the martyr al-Sadr did to Saddam," referencing the death of another prominent cleric in Iraq in 1980.

Hundreds of armoured vehicles were sent to Qatif in Saudi Arabia to contain protests in response to the execution, while demonstrators in Bahrain have been tear-gassed.

Update: Nimr al-Nimr execution: Iranian cleric says death penalty will bring down Saudi Arabia's ruling family (The Independent)

WNU Editor: These Shiite politicians and clerics are hoping that the House of Saud will be toppled .... but I doubt this will happen. What will happen will be more sectarian tensions, and the sectarian wars that are now raging in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen to only intensify.

Sunni World Deeply Divided On The Russian Military Campaign In Syria

Sputnik: Sunni World Deeply Divided Amid Russian Campaign Against ISIL in Syria

Russia's campaign in Syria aimed at assisting Damascus in tackling extremists has reportedly caused a rift in the Arab world.

Arab states are divided on how to react to Russia's military engagement in Syria. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey are opposed to any involvement, which could help Bashar al-Assad retain power, while Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates are quite optimistic that Moscow will help fight extremist forces in Syria, Defense News reported.

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri recently said that Russia came to Assad's assistance to deal "a fatal blow to terrorism in Syria, and its strikes are in line with those of the anti-Daesh coalition in Syria and Iraq." Islamic State, also known as ISIL/ISIS, is often referred to as Daesh in the Middle East.

WNU Editor: Truth be told .... The Sunni world has always been divided .... it is just that the Syrian conflict is now exposing these divisions for all to see.

Rich Arab States Are Not Accepting Syrian Refugees

Reuters: In rich Gulf Arab states, some feel shamed by refugee response

When Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, fellow Gulf states raced to shelter thousands of displaced Kuwaitis. Fast forward 25 years, and the homeless from Syria's nearby war have found scant refuge in the Arab world's richest states.

For critics of the Gulf's affluent monarchies the contrast is profoundly unflattering, especially as several are backers of the combatants in Syria's conflict, so must, they argue, shoulder a special responsibility for its consequences.

The wrenching image of a Syrian Kurdish refugee boy drowned on a Turkish beach has stoked debate in Europe. The official silence of Gulf Arab dynasties makes many Gulf citizens uneasy.

Previous Post: The Arab World’s Wealthiest Nations Are Not Welcoming Syria’s Refugees

WNU Editor: Fears of terrorism, social and political instability, economic dislocation, etc. .... these countries have made it very clear .... because of these reasons (and more that I have not bothered to list) .... they do not want these refugees coming to their country.

Middle East Countries Rush To Build Border Fences

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

Bloomberg: Fences Rise Across Middle East as Jihadi Threat Rattles Leaders

As they confront the rising threat of modern jihadist violence, many of the nations most at risk are retreating behind one of the oldest forms of defense.

Tunisia became the latest to invest in a border barrier after dozens of foreign tourists were killed in two attacks by Islamist militants trained in neighboring Libya and armed by smugglers. The fence and watch towers ordered by Prime Minister Habib Essid will for now stretch 100 miles inland from the coast along the most vulnerable stretch of the shared frontier.

From Morocco to Saudi Arabia, boundaries are being fortified at a rate not seen since the months following the Sept. 11 attacks.

WNU Editor: When Israel first started to build fences and walls on their borders to keep out Palestinian suicide bombers .... everyone said .... including many of these same Middle Eastern countries .... that it will not work. Well .... it did work, and not surprising many of these countries are now doing what Israel did 15 years ago. As for the U.S. .... well .... the debate continues .... Migrants trying to jump border fence are breaking their bones (Arizona Daily Star).

Ranking The Military Powers In The Middle East

Turkish Land Forces Commander General Hulusi Aker and other officers gather around an army tank on the Turkish-Syrian border near the southeastern town of Suruc in Sanliurfa province October 6, 2014.

The Most Powerful Militaries In The Middle East (Ranked) -- Armin Rosen, Jeremy Bender and Amanda Macias, Business Insider

The balance of power in the Middle East is in disarray: A three-year civil war has torn apart Syria and opened up a vacuum for the rise of the Islamic State group; Sunni powers led by Saudi Arabia continue to face off against Shi'ite powers led by Iran; other countries are reeling from uprisings in the Arab Spring; and foreign powers are all taking sides.

Faced with this tense paradigm, every country in the region is building up its own military.

Indeed, four of the five fastest-growing defense markets in 2013 were in the Middle East, led by Oman — up 115% in a year — and Saudi Arabia — up 300% in a decade — according to IHS Jane's.

Read more ....

My Comment: No surprises here.

A Look At The Groups Fighting In Iraq And Syria

A Guide To The Many Groups Fighting In Iraq And Syria -- NYMag

Many of us, when we hear the term civil war, tend to picture a two-sided affair: the rebels and loyalists. Through most of history — whether in Rome under Julius Caesar, the U.S. in the 19th century, or Cuba in the '50s — that's how these things have played out. But Syria has a far messier, more confusing conflict. Depending how you count them, there are a dozen or more players, and among them an ever-shifting pattern of alliances and hostilities.

Martha Crenshaw, a senior fellow at Stanford's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, has been collecting information on militant groups from around the world for the Mapping Militant Organizations project. She says keeping track of the various groups is one of the unique challenges of understanding what's happening in Syria. "What you’re seeing is not only independent groups changing their positions ... but also a lot of spinning and merging, and you're seeing groups disintegrate from within to a certain extent," she says.

Read more ....

My Comment:When you add in national governments and the 60 nations that support the U.S. led coalition against the Islamic State .... this is becoming a very long list.