Arab Spring Update, 3 December 2012

Saudi Arabia.  This nation is conspicuous in its silence--reading the news you would think that Saudi Arabia did not even exist!  I think there is a lot more going on behind the scenes when it comes to Saudi Arabia.  It is probably using its oil power, which is tied to the dollar, to influence the United States to do their bidding in the Middle East, such as supporting the rise of the Sunni Caliphate through the Muslim Brotherhood, and standing against Saudi enemies in the Gulf.  There is a lot more going on here...stay tuned.

Syria.  Continuously drawing closer to NATO intervention.  Opposition forces have supposedly consolidated (Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces), established their headquarters in Egypt, and been recognized by other nations as the legitimate representation of the nation of Syria (source).  A Pentagon study concluded that it will take 75,000 American troops to secure Syria's chemical weapons stockpile (source).  It seems like any use, or threat of use, of chemical weapons may be a trigger for NATO to attack (source).  I have said this before and say it again: we need to stay completely away from Syria, whether they use chemical weapons or not.  There is also the possibility of a false flag event that is used to trigger NATO involvement.  We seem hell-bent on deposing Assad, no matter how it gets done.

Turkey.  Asking for American Patriot missile systems to defend against a Syrian air threat (why?).  Russia strongly objects (source).  Dealing with the Kurdish separatist issue manifested in the PKK.

Egypt.  The new Muslim Brotherhood president Mohammed Morsi unilaterally gave himself more ("temporary") powers in true dictator-like fashion (source).  Protests in Cairo against Morsi's power grab (source).  The group in charge of writing the Egyptian constitution seeks its quick approval.  Morsi helped broker cease-fire between the Israelis and Hamas in Gaza, giving him credibility and probably attempting to transition Gaza from being backed by Iran to being backed by the Sunni Caliphate.

"Palestine."  Launched rocket attacks on Israel, reached a cease-fire with the help of Egypt, and then went promptly to the United Nations to seek nationhood, receiving non-member observer state status. Both Russia and the United States sent ships to extract their citizens from Gaza if necessary.  Israel stopped cash transfers to the Palestinian government in response (source).

Lebanon.  Hezbollah threatens to strike Tel Aviv with rockets when war happens again.

Jordan.  In my opinion, this will be the next nation to fall to the Muslim Brotherhood (Sunni Caliphate) after Syria.  Current protests by Muslim Brotherhood supporters against the king. (source)

Iran.  Continuing to threaten Israel and produce nuclear weapons.  Expelling Afghans from their nation after Afghanistan signs a strategic security pact with the US (source).

Iraq.  Standoff between Iraqi and Kurdish military forces in the north (source).  A major route for Iran to ship arms to Syria (source)

Sudan.  Speculation that the Israelis bombed a Fajr-5 missile factory in Sudan which was being used by the Iranians to produce and ship missiles to Gaza (source).  Shortly after the supposed strike on the factory in Sudan, Gaza began firing hundreds of rockets into Israel.  Israel retaliated by conducting precision strikes against military targets, one of which was the military chief of Hamas which they killed.

Mali.  France and Spain are backing African forces to counter the jihadists in the north of the country (source).

--Against All Enemies

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Disclaimer: These opinions are solely my own, and do not reflect the opinions or official positions of any United States Government agency, organization or department.