	Generational Dynamics
	Forecasting America's Destiny ... and the World's

\| HOME \| WEB LOG \| COUNTRY WIKI \| COMMENT \| FORUM \| DOWNLOADS \| ABOUT \|

Generational Dynamics Web Log for 17-Dec-2013
17-Dec-13 World View -- Arab states split over issue of Iran's rapprochement with the West

Web Log - December, 2013

17-Dec-13 World View -- Arab states split over issue of Iran's rapprochement with the West

U.N. makes biggest funding request ever, for Syria

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

U.N. makes biggest funding request ever, for Syria
Arab states split over issue of Iran's rapprochement with the West

U.N. makes biggest funding request ever, for Syria

A Syrian man cries carrying the body of a child killed by an al-Assad barrel bomb (AP)

A Syrian man cries carrying the body of a child killed by an al-Assad barrel bomb (AP)

The United Nations on Monday made the biggest appeal for emergency aid in its history, a total request of $12.9 billion, half of which is for victims of Syria's war. According to the U.N., 9.3 million people inside Syria require aid. In addition, around 2.4 million refugees have fled, mainly to Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt.

This appeal comes a day after Syria's Bashar al-Assad regime dropped dozens of "barrel bombs" on civilian neighborhoods in Aleppo, killing 76, including 28 children.

The war in Syria began almost three years ago, when al-Assad ordered his army to start shooting innocent protesters, bombing and flattening neighborhoods where innocent people were living, launching missiles into children's dormitories and bedrooms, raping, torturing, mutilating and massacring innocent women and children on a large scale. These genocidal acts are continuing, but thanks to Russia, which is fully participating in the genocidal acts by supplying unlimited weapons to al-Assad, the U.N. has not even criticized the al-Assad regime. And this is also thanks to the U.S., which has sold out its foreign policy to the Russians.

So we have the ridiculous situation where al-Assad is killing hundreds of thousands of his own civilians, and is making millions more homeless, freezing and starving, and what does the U.N. do? Instead of even criticizing the genocidal acts, it begs people for an unlimited amount of money to provide aid to the continuing flow of genocide victims. The U.N. is like a funeral director who arranges for people to be killed in order to have more business.

In the meantime, the actions of Alawite/Shia Bashar al-Assad to try to exterminate all the Sunnis in Syria has inflamed the entire Mideast along sectarian lines, and has turned Syria into a magnet for Sunni jihadists from all over the world. This is an absolute disaster. AFP and AP

Arab states split over issue of Iran's rapprochement with the West

A serious split is developing among the Arabian Gulf states in the Gulf Coordination Council (GCC) over the apparent rapprochement between Iran and the West. Saudi Arabia has already split with the United States and the United Nations over what the Saudis call "hypocrisy" over the Syria issue, following President Obama's flip-flop over the "red line" on chemical weapons.

The improving relationship between the U.S. administration and Iran is turning Saudi Arabia's concerns to alarm. The Saudis consider Iran to be a mortal enemy, and they view Iran's influence as growing throughout the region, thanks to their relationship with Hezbollah in Lebanon and al-Assad in Syria, and the support of the United States and Russia. The Saudis are proposing that the GCC nations form a "Gulf Union," similar to the European Union. According to a Saudi official:

"[It is] Saudi Arabia's desire to reach the phase of the Gulf Union, because it is the interest of the GCC states, and because unity would grant the Gulf strength so it can continue being an active partner in Middle Eastern affairs... The Arab Gulf, with its possibilities and achievements, has become a target for threats by several elements, which makes the call to transition from the stage of cooperation to that of union a pressing matter… The union is no longer a luxury, but rather a challenge... in light of the increasing dangers around us. The Union has become the first and only option for Gulf citizens... [In fact,] it was the initial motivation for creating the GCC, which was established over three decades ago in order to [ultimately] reach the stage of full unity."

However, Oman has bluntly rejected the call for the Gulf Union, to the extent of threatening to leave the six-member GCC if the plan goes ahead. Oman has been joined by United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar in opposing the Union. Bahrain has sided with the Saudis, while the remaining GCC member, Kuwait, has remained silent.

Unlike Saudi Arabia, where the predominant form of Islam is Sunni Islam, the predominant form in Oman is Ibadi, which is a distinct form of Islam practiced mostly in eastern and northern Africa. Thus, Oman is not closely tied to either Saudi Arabia and Iran from a religious sect point of view, and sees itself as a mediator between the two countries. Memri and Al-Jazeera

(Comments: For reader comments, questions and discussion, see the 17-Dec-13 World View -- Arab states split over issue of Iran's rapprochement with the West thread of the Generational Dynamics forum. Comments may be posted anonymously.) (17-Dec-2013) Permanent Link
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Donate to Generational Dynamics via PayPal

Web Log Pages

Current Web Log

Generational Dynamics Web Log for 17-Dec-2013 17-Dec-13 World View -- Arab states split over issue of Iran's rapprochement with the West

U.N. makes biggest funding request ever, for Syria

Arab states split over issue of Iran's rapprochement with the West

Web Log Pages

Generational Dynamics Web Log for 17-Dec-2013
17-Dec-13 World View -- Arab states split over issue of Iran's rapprochement with the West