The current single biggest mid east issue is the power vacuum left by the derailment of the Saddam regime. There is not a single country in the neighborhood that wants an Iraq that forms any kind of government that has a free choice bias. And especially not the Moslem Clerics of any stripe, no way. Then there is the assortment of dictatorships/Monarchy?s like Syria, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, on and on, that just cringe at the thought but were/are more scared spit less of Saddam or anyone like him. Heck of a witches brew for sure and especially so because Iraq has such intrinsic but undeveloped wealth. Then mixed in, there are the Moslem fundamentalists extremists like Al Qaeda that are working toward the entire Moslem world erupting in flame in a final showdown with the ?infidel?. So I fully expect to see all kinds of skirmishes on all fronts and I?m sure that is going to disappoint all the Polly Anna?s that had some absurd notion about peace descending once Saddam was out of the way. Nope, only the problem description has changed, not the core regional conflicts.
There was a reason why Saddam had such a huge Army and security apparatus other than crushing fellow Iraqis. As time passes, we will experience every one of those reasons, one by one, I?m afraid. But on the other hand, a strong and heavily supported Iraq is about the only hope that region has of keeping the perpetual warring at the skirmish level and keeping a firm grip on some Islamic Cleric?s beards. What was it that Patton said? Something like, ?hold them by the nose and kick them in the butt?. Well I fear if we are to avoid a world conflagration we?ll have to ?hold them by the beards and really kick some butts?.
Scamp
|