Okay, every topic that has even remotely to do with the middle east keeps getting more general news put into it which removes focus from the original topic.
As such, I'm creating this thread as a general middle east and north africa topic. That means anything to do with the Arab Spring, Israel or Palestine should be kept to those threads and anything to do with more generic news (for example, new Saudi regulations on the number of foreign workers or the Lebanese elections next year, etc.) should be posted here.
I hope the mods will find this a clear enough statement of intent to open the thread.
Mod edit: The Israel and Palestine thread
has been locked since October 2023. Discussion about Palestine and/or Israel remains off-topic for this thread.
Edited by Mrph1 on May 11th 2024 at 2:19:57 PM
The Saudis are running massive deficits now and are going to have to raise revenue (impossible until the price of crude goes back up) or cut spending and harshly (which is the main thing that keeps the public in line) to sustain themselves in the long term.
Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
There are also genuine reformists in the family, it should be noted.
Shameful Display
I assume anyone who wants anything more than token reform is being kept well away from the throne.
Considering all the changes happening lately and how most of that is Mb S's doing, don't be so sure.
So are the internal reformists generally aligned to the guys who seem to be making the KSA more aggressive in terms of foreign policy, particularly towards Iran and anyone perceived to by a proxy of theirs? Is this all part of the same shift?
Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
From what I've read up, thats more due to the rivalry between Mb S and the Crown Prince, who is also the interior minister (and thus the guy who signed off on the 47 executions). Mb S is barely 30 years old, so he wanted to prove his mettle with Yemen (not that its working out all that well...).
In other words, power struggles within the family are happening seperately from the reform, which is born of necessity of oil being so cheap.
edited 9th Jan '16 12:01:06 PM by FFShinra
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
... Who is this MbS that you guys speak of?
Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud
Si Vis Pacem, Para Perkele
Shameful Display
10 US sailors have been detained by the Iranian RGC after straying into their waters This is eerily similar to several other incidents.
A suitable case for treatment
Apparently they'll be released, guess they don't want to risk jeopardizing the deal.
Ten dollars says they keep the boats though...
edited 12th Jan '16 2:25:43 PM by Skycobra51
Look upon my privilege ye mighty and despair.
A procrastination in of itself
Most countries get jumpy when a hostile military has its troops end up in its territory. At least they didn't do a Turkey.
“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
A procrastination in of itself
Double posting to update, the US sailors have now apparently been released.
“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
With their patrol craft return intact as well.
Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Pronounced YAK-you-luss
And the US reportedly apologised, which suggests they got caught doing something untoward and Iran decided to give them a mild rebuke for it.
What's precedent ever done for us?
A suitable case for treatment
Its no worse than Iran's test fired rockets landing near a us carrier.
edited 13th Jan '16 6:42:04 AM by Skycobra51
Look upon my privilege ye mighty and despair.
A procrastination in of itself
Well they were in Iran's territorial waters, if nothing else it was a screw up on the US' part.
True the rocket tests were an asshole move (though remember that "near" meant 1,370m from, and Iran did at least give a 25 minutes heads up), but that doesn't justify sending your military into another nations territory, that can easily be taken as a deceleration of war. Plus the US Navy is in position to talk about dangerous firing of missiles in the Gulf.
edited 13th Jan '16 6:49:18 AM by Silasw
“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
A suitable case for treatment
The US boats drifted there on accident though.
Look upon my privilege ye mighty and despair.
I'm actually pleasantly surprised that both sides were so mature and diplomatic about this incident and resolved it quickly. Gives me some hope that the nuclear deal will go through, barring Iranian hardliners/American Republicans intentionally sinking it for domestic points/ideological causes.
That's true, but it was still a violation and the Iranians had every right to investigate the incursion and hold the crew/ships until they realized that nothing untoward was going down. They also had a responsibility to make sure that the ships weren't in actual distress, so there may have been a Search and Rescue aspect as well, at least initially.
edited 13th Jan '16 7:06:39 AM by Rationalinsanity
Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
A suitable case for treatment
I'm still not too sure if the deal will survive the grid lock that is Congress.
It is pleasant to see it ended diplomatically, though it was a bit anti-climatic.
edited 13th Jan '16 7:38:24 AM by Skycobra51
Look upon my privilege ye mighty and despair.
A procrastination in of itself
Also I don't believe a distress call ever went up, which could be taken as a bit suspicious.
I don't see how that's relevant, care to elaborate?
edited 13th Jan '16 7:16:27 AM by Silasw
“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Causing freakouts over sourcing since 2018
The Iranian nuclear deal and its effect on US-Iranian relations? I suppose the language from both sides would be a lot colder if it hadn't gone as well as it has so far.
A procrastination in of itself
No, what the post said before Skycobra edited it. Something about Gadaffi and sovereignty violations of his territory by the US.
edited 13th Jan '16 7:54:54 AM by Silasw
“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
A suitable case for treatment
I was involved in a conversation elsewhere, posted the wrong thing to the wrong web site, forgot it was still on my clip board.
But to recap:
I was referring to this.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_in_the_Gulf_of_Sidra_(1986)
Edit:
Those bastards, America does something like that its a crime, they do it, and no one makes a fuss about it.
edited 13th Jan '16 2:26:37 PM by Skycobra51
Look upon my privilege ye mighty and despair.
Shameful Display
This is Iran, only doing this is progress. Though I agree the left has been to eager to compliment the Iranians. But by the by, I'm pretty sure the US once put black bags over the heads of Turkish troops who had intruded into Iraq and marched them around. Apparently the Turks were pretty pissed about this, and somebody made a movie about the whole incident.
A) To make vague shadow puppet gestures of not being a corrupt/violent regime to foreigners.
B) To keep the U.S. interested in them, to avoid the U.S. becoming besties with Iran and/or to at least keep the U.S. in the Middle East as basically the Sauds rely on the U.S. as sort of their personal goon backing them in their corner. (i.e. they need the U.S. as international dumb muscle to help legitimize their regime/bolster its strength.)
Third reason was that it's to give the younger generation something to do and make their mark on policy.
edited 9th Jan '16 5:11:05 AM by PotatoesRock