Archive for June 13th, 2017
America is no longer a force for stability in the Gulf
The blacklisting of Qatar is a sign of President Trump’s new world disorder
AMERICA’S president got on so well last month with King Salman of Saudi Arabia that he has embraced the monarch’s foreign-policy goals.
Sunni Saudi Arabia detests Shia Iran, its chief regional rival. So does Donald Trump. (Why that? What does Trump knows of Iran?)
He also appears to share the Saudi view that the most egregious bankroller of terrorism in the Middle East is the tiny sheikhdom of Qatar. (Qatar is a late comer, after 2011. Saudi Kingdom since 1980)
He applauded when, on June 5th, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates severed diplomatic ties with Qatar, as well as land, sea and air links. The Gulf states gave Qatari citizens 14 days to leave.
Ludicrously, the UAE declared that anyone publishing expressions of support for Qatar can be jailed for up to 15 years. Mr Trump tweeted: “Perhaps this will be the beginning of the end to the horror of terrorism!”
Though tiny (in population), Qatar matters. It is the world’s largest producer of liquefied natural gas and an airline hub. It is also host to Al Jazeera, the nearest the Middle East has to an uncensored broadcaster (so long as it does not criticise the Qatari monarchy). (That was before Syria upheaval)
It has good ties with Iran, with which it exploits a vast gasfield. It is supportive, too, of the (Sunni) Muslim Brotherhood, the most popular face of political Islam. (Brotherhoods in Egypt, Turkey and Syria)
All this makes Saudi Arabia hate it. The Saudi regime has tried in the past to bend Qatar to its will, but failed. Qatar hosts a large American airbase, which until now has made it feel safe. But with Mr Trump in the White House, nobody is now so sure.
No concrete reasons have been given for the blacklisting of Qatar.
There is lots of chatter that wealthy Qataris fund terrorism. (Kuwait, Saudi Kingdom and Gulf Emirates allowed its citizens to collect and fund Syria, Iraqi and Libya terrorist factions)
This accusation, which is also levelled at rich Saudis, is unproven, though the Financial Times reports that Qatar paid $1bn to Iran and an al-Qaeda affiliate for the release of Qatari royals who were taken hostage while on a falcon-hunting trip to Iraq. A billion-dollar ransom would buy a lot of explosives.
The spat has split the Gulf Co-operation Council, hitherto a force for stability in an unstable region.
It may drive Qatar, as well as Kuwait and Oman, the other two members of the GCC, who pointedly declined to support the Saudi move, further into the arms of Iran. Tempers may eventually cool, but some observers worry that the price of Saudi Arabia backing down will be the muzzling of those pesky Al Jazeera journalists.
Mr Trump’s support for Saudi actions also damages America’s credibility. It suggests that, under him, the superpower can abandon its allies after a brief chat with their enemies.
“During my recent trip to the Middle East I stated that there can no longer be funding of Radical Ideology. Leaders pointed to Qatar—look!” tweeted Mr Trump on June 6th.
The sober foreign-policy types who cling on in his administration are scrambling to downplay such undiplomatic words and calm tempers. Perhaps recognising his error, Mr Trump offered his services as a mediator the following day.
Now anything goes
Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, Egypt’s autocratic president, has also decided that Mr Trump is an American leader who will let him persecute his enemies without hindrance. On May 23rd, two days after the two men met and praised each other in Riyadh, Mr Sisi had a potential opponent arrested for allegedly making an indecent hand gesture at a rally five months earlier.
On May 25th the government blocked access to the websites of Mada Masr, Egypt’s leading liberal newspaper, and those of 20 other media outlets, including Al Jazeera and Huffpost Arabic.
In Bahrain the authorities killed five people and arrested 286 more in a raid on the home of a Shia cleric; shortly after that, they dissolved the main secular opposition party. America would once have objected to all this. No longer—and that is a recipe for a less stable Middle East.
Adonis Diaries 
Notes and comments on FB and Twitter. Part 40
Posted by: adonis49 on: June 13, 2017
Notes and comments on FB and Twitter. Part 40
For years I suggested the EU handle 2 Euro currencies: Euro B for internal market of each member state, which can print according to internal market fluctuation, and Euro A for export (to other member States, and outside EU) and Germany will keep the monopoly of issuing the Euro A
Trump patauge. Mud reaching his knees and the basket of deplorable voters are dead firm on believing he is going to improve their deplorable world view
A l’heure de jeter l’éponge, celle specialisé dans le désinteret, se montrait dévorée de curiosité, même étant sourd.
Before US invasion in 2003, No suicide bombings occurred in Iraq history
L’imbécile Ibrahim (Ottoman Empire), sans craindre sa naissance, Traine, exempt de peril, une éternelle enfance: Indigne également de vivre et de mourir, On l’abandonne aux mains qui daignent le nourir. (Bajazet de Racine). Le Sultan épargna Ibrahim et fit assassiné ses autre frères. The future nouveau Sultan était de la descendance d’Ibrahim
L’éveque est ici la plus haute autorité. Pas besoin de me rappeler que vous êtes les maîtres de Dieu
Nous ne sommes pas prévenus de l’irremediable: aucune ombre furtive ne passé avec sa faux.
Est-ce que le poulet que tu mange a eté nourris de granules biologique? Se promenait-il dans la basse-cours, s’était voleté et s’ était perché dans les arbres? Bref, le poulet a-t-il eu une vie normal?
La joie vient de l’inesperé, quand l’expectation réelle n’était pas faisable.
Vous, les professionnels Ingénieur Brevets, vous ne defendez les inventions des chercheurs, mais le pognon.
Il y a des gens qui aiment trimballer des boulets (qui mangent et boient sans parler durant les soirés) et s’amusent a inviter ces boulets
The USA, China et Russia are the military powers. Yet, the EU is the center of power for a sustainable human development: There are No meaningful debates or culture worth the name outside of the EU.
Si c’était ta soeur avec qui tu compare ta beauté et ton elegance, je mentirais éperdument avec tant de confiance.
Il entra avec la saucisse de la Foret-Noire, une petite scie electrique aussi
Maintenant, c’ ést nous (les vieux) qui ralentissons le train: les delicatesses de la nature, le parterre de gentians, les myosotis… tous les excuses pour freiner le pas
La marche vers la library pour lire est une marche. La marche du retour c’est pour raffiner les notes prises
C’est bien de prendre des notes, assis. Les versions en marchant enrichissent ton style.
L’assurance du veteran? Comme si les rencontres avec l’horreur anesthesissent les nerfs.
Le veteran de la vie bouge constamment et rencontrent les vivants en chaire et os
Le veteran de la vie, meme marchant dans un coin de paradis, expect dans chaque tournant de faire face a l’une des horreurs humaines.
La peur de la peur me sapa le moral. Comment quitter mes responsibilitiés et retourner a un état de grâce?
Many small prosperous countries keep reducing the consumption of energy: healthy sobriety of a cooperating civil society sustains this prosperity
Comment organiser la vie personnelle qui confront l’ineficacité de la croissance illimitée qui detruit la terre pour produire?
L’acte de legitime résistance á la dépendence et á l’asservissement d’une societé de consomation: Une sobriéte de civil disobedience á l’échelle de chaque individu.
when a close knit minority suffers a kind of genocide, all its myths take some weight in the survival process. Would all the nonsense myths évaporate once they feel they turned the bend of survival?
No community in history ever shed-off its nonsense myths. The minority to survive. The majority sustained them for periods of insecurity. And genocides were the consequences.
La désobeissance civil ne peut prendre racine que lorseque l’individu apprend la sobriéte de vivre
Merkel gave Britain the harshest of slaps: No negation with EU before the process of Exit has been finalized by 2019. In the meantime, Britain has to pay as Canada do for exporting to the EU market.
Certain traits of mammals babies (kittens, puppies, human babies, and of primates in general) repeat themselves: big head, big eyes… Fish and birds babies are Not cute
Traiter, retraiter, un retraité: on a l’impression que le nouveau produit est plus durable, plus apétissant a regarder, plus chére a revendre
For several years, I’ve been staying very late and waking up late. In the last couple months, these routines are more satisfying and feeling at peace: I’m officially a retired person. I have the rights for these privileges.
In Middle Age Europe, 50,000 women were burned alive for witch craft
In the last 2 decades, 20,000 immigrants drowned fleeing from North Africa to Italy
Just getting expert in locating and deactivating land mines make the Syrian and Iraqi armies the most prepared for occupying villages and cities.
Celui qui boit seul meurt seul. Et le seul qui ne boit pas? La mort rongera son frein avant de le rattraper?
Le vendeur de nourrirture ne meurt pas de faim; que quand il cesse de la vendre. Il meurt du trop plein de manger
Il ne faut jamais détourner le regard de l’inteviewé qui exprime plus de choses que sa voix, et même le contraire
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