The Problems With The Middle East
It seems no other region is in the headlines or nightly news programs as
much as the Middle East. It is the crucible of civilization, and of
religion. It is World's largest fossil fuel deposit, and recently it has
become the flashpoint of a World wide conflagration.
One just has to look at any country in the Middle East and their troubles
and strife are apparent.
Egypt: Decades of political oppression and a tenuous alliance with the
United States. Birth place of the Muslim Brotherhood, an umbrella group
for
most Islamic militant groups.
Sudan: Scene of the World's most recent genocide. A brewing storm on the
horizon as UN troops are poised to enter the country by force if
necessary.
Ethiopia: A country brought to the World's attention in the 1980's due to
endemic starvation. This once starving country fought a protracted war
against its miniscule neighbour - Eritrea.
Eritrea: Just over a decade old, the tiny nation state of Eritrea gained
independence from Ethiopia in 1993. Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting
Sudanese rebels. This young country of 4.5 million people could be
swallowed
up by any number of its larger neighbours.
Somalia: Yet another starving nation on the Horn of Africa. The warlords
of
this nation apparently brought the United States military to its knees.
The
warlords calculated correctly that the American public did not have an
appetite for war in their post-Cold War bubble.
Djibouti: A one party dominated authoritarian dictatorship until as
recently
as 1999. The old French colonial territory is home to the only US base in
sub-Saharan Africa. This nation of less than half a million people is one
of
the major assets in the War on Terror. Potentially a flash point in the
ever
widening global conflagration.
Yemen: A nation founded from two states in 1990, it was the scene of the
USS
Cole bombing terrorist attack. This Islamic nation produces a large number
of Islamic terrorists.
Oman: Quite possibly the most peaceful nation in the Middle East. A
sultanate, Oman maintains a close military and political relationship with
the UK.
United Arab Emirates: Most recently the UAE has come to the fore because
of
the hotly disputed take-over-bid of British firm P&O. The deal would place
the UAE in control of 6 major American ports, including ports across the
Globe. The UAE is a key American ally in the War on Terror. The major
ongoing dispute concerning the UAE is with Iran's occupation of it's
northern islands.
Saudi Arabia: The birth place of Wahabi Islam, Saudi Arabia is also the
birth place of Osama Bin Laden. The nation enjoys extremely close ties
with
the United States, and in particular the Bush family. The Saudi's are
fighting an internal struggle against Islamic militants who protest the
presence of Americans in the Middle East.
Jordan: Jordan holds the largest border with Israel and in 1994 signed a
peace treaty with the Jewish state. Home to over 1.7 million Palestinian
refugees, Jordan holds a large stake in the Mid-East peace process. Jordan
was a member of the pan-Arab forces that attacked Israel in 1967.
Israel: Quite arguably the focus point of Western interest in the entirety
of Middle Eastern conflict. The partition of the Palestinian mandate into
Jewish and Arab states was created by a UN assembly vote in 1947. A
negotiated peace treaty between Israel and the rest of the Middle East,
including the creation of Palestine, would be the single biggest blow to
militant Islam.
Iraq: The once US-backed nation of Iraq fought a protracted war against
Iran
in the late 1980's. It's long-time dictator, Saddam Hussein, was deposed
in
an American-led invasion force in 2003. The nation now stands on the
precipice of civil war as Sunni and Shiah muslims vie for control of the
fledgling Iraqi government. Second only to Israel as the biggest source of
Islamic militant anger.
Syria: Syria was recently forced to remove its stranglehold over Lebanese
government and security. Syria moved into Lebanon in 1976 to prevent
Palestinian forces from overthrowing the Maronites. Syrian officials have
been accused of assassinating the popular ex-Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri. Syria has signed a mutual defence pact with Iran.
Lebanon: The scene of much conflict in the latter decades of the 20th
century. Lebanon was twice invaded by Israel who were aiming to remove the
PLO's presence in the fractured nation. Syria held sway in Lebanon until
2005 via its domination of Lebanese puppet governments loyal to Syria.
Iran: Animosity between Iran and the United States harks back to the
Iranian
revolution and the American support for the deposed Shah (king) of Iran.
America's denial of Iranian requests to hand over the Shah who fled there
sparked the Iranian Embassy hostage crisis.
Another hostage crisis tied to Iran, this time in Lebanon, nearly brought
about the collapse of the Reagan Administration. The Iran-Contra affair
had
the Reagan administration selling arms to Iran to secure the release of
American hostages. However the sales of weapons to Iran began before the
hostages were taken and continued until after their release.
Iran has come to the fore recently due to its nuclear enrichment
programme.
The process of nuclear fuel enrichment is expressly provided for under the
NPT, which it signed, but due to the history of animosity between the US
and
Iran the United States protests this nuclear enrichment. The United States
asserts that the Iranians are aiming for nuclear weapons and that they
should not be allowed to enrich uranium.
Turkey: The only muslim nation to be included in the EU if accession talks
are successful. Turkey is held up by the West as the role model for how
muslim nations should be run. A prosperous nation with a secular
government,
Turkey is the darling of Europe. Turkey however is fighting against
Kurdish
militants who are seeking to create a Kurdish state which would span
Turkish
and Iraqi territory. This rebel presence was the main opposition point of
Turkish involvement in the 2003 Iraq invasion.
The interplay between the nations of the Middle East has far reaching
consequences. One only has to look at the effects the Iranian oil shock
had
on World markets. Or take the War on Terror and how it affects the very
principles of the democratic nations of the World.
It is my hope that this thread can include a wide ranging discourse of how
these nations problems are intertwined with one another, including the
West
which seeks to quell these long standing problems. Have at it
--
Alistair Sim
They seek him here, they seek him there
Those Frenchies seek him everywhere
Is he in heaven or is he in hell?
That demned elusive Pimpernel
I am the Whistler, and I know many things, for I walk by night. I know
many
strange tales, many secrets hidden in the hearts of men and women who have
stepped into the shadows. Yes, I know the nameless terrors of which they
dare not speak."
"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!"
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