THE NEW PERSIAN EMPIRE

Iran’s influence and power in the middle east is expanding rapidly.  Iran is a player in determining the future of Syria.  The US is not.  Hilariously it is not because of any shrewd manipulation or strategy on the part of the Iranians, but is rather the unintentional result of US belligerence, wars and the emerging Saudi/Israeli alliance.  Sometimes countries achieve empire by ambition, other times it is thrust upon them from a vacuum.

In recent years there has been talk of moving the Iranian capital from Tehran to Esfahan, because Tehran is so crowded.  Esfahan was the capital of the last Persian Empire under the Safavid dynasty.  The way things are going, it may serve that purpose in the future as well.

Continue reading “THE NEW PERSIAN EMPIRE”

Our Enemies, the Saudis

They’re invading Yemen to empower Al Qaeda

April 20, 2015
Let’s get this straight: Saudi Arabia is Al Qaeda. If there was any doubt about that, the Kingdom’s invasion of Yemen makes it plain as day.

The Los Angeles Times reports:

“A brazen territorial grab by Al Qaeda militants in Yemen – together with a $1-million bank heist, a prison break and capture of a military base – has given the terrorist group fundraising and recruitment tools that suggest it is following the brutal path blazed by Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq.

“Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which was long forced into the shadows by US drone strikes and commando raids, has taken advantage of the growing chaos in Yemen’s multi-sided war to carve out a potential haven that counter-terrorism experts say could help it launch terrorist attacks.”

The Times piece confirms that the Saudis, who have never lifted a finger to strike at Al Qaeda, are now enabling their mutant offspring to seize and hold territory:

“With the Saudis focused on the Houthis, AQAP fighters launched a jailbreak near Mukalla that freed about 300 prisoners, including several dozen of their comrades, officials and residents said. … After seizing a regional airport and a coastal oil terminal this week, Al Qaeda militants consolidated their gains Friday in Mukalla, an Arabian Sea port. Fighters stormed a weapons depot and seized armored vehicles and rockets after apparently forging a truce with local tribes and forcing government troops to flee.”

Continue reading “Our Enemies, the Saudis”