Meanwhile Back in the Sandbox...

[Polish_Silver]

What's a king to do ?

And truly unfortunate that the remarkable Claire Foy's character has been permanently removed.

Well, what's a king to do?

Die without an heir, plunging the kingdom back into dynastic wars?

Marriages were sometimes annulled by they pope, except when he was a prisoner of the queen's uncle, Charles V.

Catherine was lucky. She was not offed like the later queens.

The Germans had a different solution: revert to the pre-christian tradiation of bigamy. Which was still legal, I think, at least for kings.

[GRG55]

Re: Meanwhile Back in the Sandbox...

So how do ya like it so far?

Qatar rift is pivotal test for disunited Gulf families

RIYADH/KUWAIT Thu Mar 6, 2014 10:11am EST

(Reuters) - A breach between Qatar and some of its Gulf Arab neighbors is a pivotal test for a three-decade-old union of monarchies formed to stand united when threatened by common enemies.

The six neighbors have struggled for years to transform their alliance from a simple security pact into an integrated economy. But plans for a customs union, integrated power grids and a joint military command remain unfinished or unrealized.

Critics of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) blame its inadequacies on petty jealousies, border disputes, or the perceived dominance of its biggest member, Saudi Arabia.

If the allies can no longer reach broad agreement on how to navigate the political troubles afflicting the region, then the main point of their partnership is in question, say analysts.

Born more out of fear than greed, the GCC, which also includes Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman, has managed to present a united front at times of threat ranging from Iranian revolution to Iraqi invasion.

The club was born in 1981 to counter the revolutionaries who had toppled Iran's Shah, a fellow dynast familiar to Gulf Arab leaders, two years earlier. As Iran and Iraq embarked on an eight-year war, survival became the watchword for the GCC.

Now, even as most Gulf Arab economies are booming and the GCC touts itself as a rare outpost of stability in a turbulent region, the member countries have never appeared more divided.

"Will the GCC kill itself?" ran Thursday's headline in Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai.

Wednesday's statement by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain that they were withdrawing ambassadors from Doha and all but accusing Qatar of undermining their internal stability was unprecedented as a public display of divisions...

...Saudi Arabia and the UAE are incensed by Qatar's support for the Muslim Brotherhood, which they regard as a dangerous political enemy. They are also cross about Doha's backing for more radical Islamist groups in Syria...

...Saudi Arabia and Qatar are leading backers of rival Syrian rebel groups, and they and other Gulf states are the principal external forces supporting key players in Egypt and Yemen.

Acting together they could effect regional change. Apart, they risk dragging the Gulf into the post-Arab Spring quagmire.

A Gulf Arab diplomat said the decision to recall the envoys was taken after a meeting of GCC foreign ministers on Tuesday at which it became clear Qatar would not change its approach...

...There have been plenty of previous rifts among the six dynasties, which sometimes appear to regard each other as rivals rather than partners, but they have never involved such an airing of dirty linen or come at such a dangerous time.

Unlike in the past, the Gulf states cannot count on strong Arab allies with large armies to see off external threats.

Gulf citizens see their region as the last bastion of security in the Arab world, with Iraq and Syria in conflict, Yemen and Libya in chaos, Egypt destabilized and Lebanon and Jordan undermined by turmoil in neighboring states...

Blast kills two policemen in Bahrain

July 28, 2015 | 6:30 PM

Dubai: A bomb blast killed two Bahrain policemen and wounded six others on Tuesday in an area often shaken by clashes between security forces and protesters, the interior ministry said.

The blast took place in Sitra island outside the capital Manama.

Police blocked routes leading to the island following the explosion -- the latest in a series of blasts targeting police in villages, witnesses said...

...Footage of the aftermath of the explosion showed a shrapnel-riddled police bus with shattered windows...

[lektrode]

Re: Meanwhile Back in the Sandbox...

and then..

theres this:

United States is Destroying Saudi Arabia (??)

(assume this more of that legacy-creation stuff from the empty suit&co)

a snippet:

When Obama took the office, bilateral relations between the two countries received a new boost: the turnover in comparison with 2000 has tripled, reaching the level of 60 billion dollars. Moreover, Saudi Arabia ranked eighth among the trade partners of the United States.
However, if Washington used to look at Saudi Arabia as a valuable oil supplier, now the situation is changing. The International Energy Agency has already stated that, by 2020, America will be able to completely abandon the import of fuel.


As the political map of the world is changing so are Washington’s objectives and goals in the Middle East. In just twelve years the Arab world has been completely destroyed by the United States. Today it is marked by chaos, anarchy and bloodshed. Nobody perceives the League of Arab States as a legitimate power anymore, despite the influence it once enjoyed.
The plan that was drafted for the White House by US think tanks implies no reliance on former allies like Saudi Arabia, instead Washington is going to seek the establishment of two centers of power – a Shiite Iran and a Sunni Turkey that will compete for dominance in the chaos-riddled region.

uh huh... and havent we already seen the rumblings of art berman's prediction?

[lektrode]

Re: Meanwhile Back in the Sandbox...

and then..

theres this:

United States is Destroying Saudi Arabia (??)

(assume this more of that legacy-creation stuff from the empty suit&co)

a snippet:

When Obama took the office, bilateral relations between the two countries received a new boost: the turnover in comparison with 2000 has tripled, reaching the level of 60 billion dollars. Moreover, Saudi Arabia ranked eighth among the trade partners of the United States.
However, if Washington used to look at Saudi Arabia as a valuable oil supplier, now the situation is changing. The International Energy Agency has already stated that, by 2020, America will be able to completely abandon the import of fuel.


As the political map of the world is changing so are Washington’s objectives and goals in the Middle East. In just twelve years the Arab world has been completely destroyed by the United States. Today it is marked by chaos, anarchy and bloodshed. Nobody perceives the League of Arab States as a legitimate power anymore, despite the influence it once enjoyed.
The plan that was drafted for the White House by US think tanks implies no reliance on former allies like Saudi Arabia, instead Washington is going to seek the establishment of two centers of power – a Shiite Iran and a Sunni Turkey that will compete for dominance in the chaos-riddled region.

uh huh... and havent we already seen the rumblings of art berman's prediction?

[GRG55]

Re: Meanwhile Back in the Sandbox...

and then..

theres this:

United States is Destroying Saudi Arabia (??)

(assume this more of that legacy-creation stuff from the empty suit&co)


...

I think the Arab world can look in the mirror and see the real source of their problems.

[jpatter666]

Re: Meanwhile Back in the Sandbox...

I think the Arab world can look in the mirror and see the real source of their problems.

From the movie, but still apt....

So long as the Arabs fight tribe against tribe, so long will they be a little people, a silly people - greedy, barbarous, and cruel, as you are.

[GRG55]

Re: Meanwhile Back in the Sandbox...

Too early to tell if its going to spin completely out of control in some parts of the region, but I've been following the Middle East since the '73 Arab oil embargo and I continue to believe we are in the midst of the most profound remaking of the region since the fall of the Ottomans. Terrorism is a purely political act. What happened last week in North Africa and Kuwait (the latter of notable importance as the violence spreads) was no exception.

Terror attacks on 3 continents; ISIS claims responsibility in Tunisia, Kuwait

Updated 11:22 AM ET, Sat June 27, 2015

(CNN)ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack on a seaside resort hotel in Tunisia on Friday that killed at least 38 people and wounded at least 36 others, many of them Western tourists...

...And ISIS has claimed responsibility for an apparent bomb blast at the Shiite-affiliated Al-Sadiq mosque in Kuwait's capital during Friday prayers, leaving at least 25 dead and more than 200 injured...

..."... Gone are the days of the al Qaeda large-scale plots where the cell was big, the authorities could disrupt it, arrest (people) and prosecute. Now are are seeing an increase in the volume of terrorism because the plots sometimes actually are on a smaller scale (which makes them) harder to protect, harder to monitor."...

Bamiyan revisited. Anything and everything that is pre-Islamic is at risk.

Palmyra's Temple of Bel destroyed, says UN

A satellite image confirms the main temple in the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria has been destroyed by Islamic State (IS) militants, the UN says.

1 September 2015

Syria's head of antiquities had suggested on Monday that the Temple of Bel was still standing, despite reports a massive explosion over the weekend.

But Unosat analysts said the main structure had been reduced to rubble, as well as a line of columns beside it.
IS captured the Unesco World Heritage site from government forces in May.

"Unfortunately, the images we acquired do show that the main building of the temple has been destroyed," Einar Bjorgo, Unosat's manager, told the BBC early on Tuesday.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) considered the Temple of Bel - the great sanctuary of the Palmyrene gods - one of the most important religious buildings of the 1st Century AD in the East...

...The BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut says the temple is bounded by a high perimeter wall, and the whole sprawling site of Palmyra is controlled by IS, so it would have been hard for outside witnesses on the ground to verify what had happened without putting themselves at risk.

IS has ransacked and demolished several similar ancient sites that pre-date Islam in Iraq, denouncing them as symbols of "idolatry".

The sale of looted antiquities is nevertheless one of the group's main sources of funding. It has also been accused of destroying ancient sites to gain publicity.

Authorities removed hundreds of statues and priceless objects before IS overran Palmyra earlier this year.

Last week, it was confirmed that another important site at Palmyra, the Temple of Baalshamin, had been blown up.

Unosat released satellite images showing the extent of the damage, proving that parts were heavily damaged or completely destroyed.

Earlier last month, the group beheaded 81-year-old Khaled al-Asaad, the archaeologist who had looked after the Palmyra ruins for 40 years...

[EJ]

Re: Meanwhile Back in the Sandbox...

Gee. I wonder where all this is heading.

[gwynedd1]

Re: Meanwhile Back in the Sandbox...

Don- or anybody who believes in the "destabilization-for-oil" theory- I'm not saying you're wrong, but I just don't see what destabilization accomplishes as a policy and in fact. Everybody says we're destabilizing regimes for their oil, but is the USA really getting a lot of oil out of all this? After years of US presence in Iraq, Iraq signed big oil contracts with China a few years ago.

Can someone please enlighten me on how exactly the US is benefiting from fighting in the Middle East? The only advantages I can see is it's enriching the pockets of the war industry and keeping thousands of young men busy over there instead of having them unemployed on the streets here at home. Is this what it's all about?

Hi shiny,

Well I don't much believe in that theory at the national level either. What I do believe in is 100 cents worth of public money laundered into 1 cent of private profits is a battle special interests find worth fighting for. It does not explain everything, but I believe these forces are at work. Lots of private money was made in Iraq even at astounding public losses. Its a matter of many interests lining up. , like the military industrial complex, the Israeli lobby( happy to see a hostile Arab state go down) and US imperialists of different sorts. It even makes great news so the media doesn't mind war drums at all. About the closest thing to a national intrest force at work is I am quite sure factions in US foreign policy want to wreck foreign oil markets because they are cash flows for our "enemies".

http://readersupportednews.org/news-...on-on-iraq-war

[Polish_Silver]

Re: Meanwhile Back in the Sandbox...

The terrorists causing death and suffering.
But what upsets me personally is the destruction of ancient monuments. These are rare and precious things for helping us understand the past,
and therefore our selves. I love the Epic of Gilgamesh and feel that destroying these things makes us lesser beings.

[don]

Re: Meanwhile Back in the Sandbox...

The terrorists causing death and suffering.
But what upsets me personally is the destruction of ancient monuments. These are rare and precious things for helping us understand the past,
and therefore our selves. I love the Epic of Gilgamesh and feel that destroying these things makes us lesser beings.

Agree with everything you said and feel. You should feel relieved you weren't around for the Crusades, Conquistadors or the English Church supplanting the Catholics. In the latter alone over 90% of the archives - buildings, art, etc. - were destroyed as foreign idols.

[GRG55]

Re: Meanwhile Back in the Sandbox...

Gee. I wonder where all this is heading.

Maybe a recognition the sectarian division underpinning this Middle East conflict is the primary dynamic. Maybe a recognition that the terrorism against western targets is being perpetrated by Sunni Arabs and not Shia Persians (see this earlier post). Maybe a recognition of where much of the funding for Sunni terrorism, especially pre-9/11, was sourced.

[jk]

Re: Meanwhile Back in the Sandbox...

Maybe a recognition of where much of the funding for Sunni terrorism, especially pre-9/11, was sourced.

not bloody likely

Saudi King Salman to visit D.C., books entire hotel

[Woodsman]

Re: Meanwhile Back in the Sandbox...

not bloody likely

Saudi King Salman to visit D.C., books entire hotel

I know it looks like we're lovers.



But we're just kissing cousins.



And go way back.



More like family.



What family doesn't have common interests?

“There’s nothing in it about national security,” Walter Jones, a Republican congressman from North Carolina who has read the missing pages, contends. “It’s about the Bush Administration and its relationship with the Saudis.” Stephen Lynch, a Massachusetts Democrat, told me that the document is “stunning in its clarity,” and that it offers direct evidence of complicity on the part of certain Saudi individuals and entities in Al Qaeda’s attack on America. “Those twenty-eight pages tell a story that has been completely removed from the 9/11 Report,” Lynch maintains. Another congressman who has read the document said that the evidence of Saudi government support for the 9/11 hijacking is “very disturbing,” and that “the real question is whether it was sanctioned at the royal-family level or beneath that, and whether these leads were followed through.”

28 Pages

We opened a bank together.

Saudi Intelligence Minister Kamal Adham is given the task. “With the official blessing of George H. W. Bush as the head of the CIA, Adham transformed a small Pakistani merchant bank, the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI), into a world-wide money-laundering machine, buying banks around the world to create the biggest clandestine money network in history.”
http://www.historycommons.org/contex...safariclubbcci

And a little club for big game hunting of a sort.

Author Joe Trento will later allege that the Safari Club, and especially the Saudi intelligence agency led by Kamal Adham and then his nephew Prince Turki from 1979 onwards, fund off-the-books covert operations for the CIA. But rather than working with the CIA as it is being reformed during the Carter administration, this group prefers to work with a private CIA made up of fired agents close to ex-CIA Director George Bush Sr. and Theodore Shackley, who Trento alleges is at the center of a “private, shadow spy organization within” the CIA until he is fired in 1979. The Safari Club and rogue CIA will play a major role in supporting the mujaheddin in Afghanistan.

http://www.historycommons.org/contex...0196safariclub

We help each other as best we can, like all families do.

The roots of the first known Bush-bin Laden convergence date back to the mid-1970s, when the two clans were linked by a Houston businessman named James R. Bath. Bath had befriended George W. Bush in the late 1960s, when they both served in the Texas Air National Guard. By 1976, when Gerald Ford appointed the elder George Bush as CIA director, Bath was acting as a business agent for Salem bin Laden’s interests in Texas. (Texas and Saudi Arabia were well-connected by this point through U.S. oil companies and related industries with operations in both locations.) In 1991 Time magazine and later other publications reported on allegations by Bath’s former business partner that the Bush CIA hired Bath in 1976 to create offshore companies to move CIA funds and aircraft between Texas and Saudi Arabia.

After W. lost a bid for Congress, he decided to launch an oil company in Midland in 1979. For $50,000, Bath bought a 5 percent stake in W.’s Arbusto (Spanish for "Bush") partnerships. At the time, Bath also served as business agent for several prominent Saudis, including Salem bin Laden. In exchange for a percentage of the deals, Bath made U.S. investments for these clients in his own name, according to Time. Although Bath has said that he invested his own money in Arbusto, not Saudi money, the fact that he was Salem’s agent at the time has fueled speculation that Osama bin Laden’s eldest brother was an early investor in W.’s first oil venture. It was around the time of this investment, incidentally, that Osama bin Laden made his first trip to the Khyber Pass, where he would soon join the Mujaheddin and the CIA in the holy war that expelled the Soviets from Afghanistan.

The Bush-bin Laden Connection

And nothing brings families closer together than crisis.

"I was introduced as the messenger for Shaykh Osama bin Laden," Moussaoui told attorneys on Oct. 21.

"Did they treat you well during the [first] visit?" the lawyer asked.

"Extremely well," Moussaoui said.

Moussaoui said he traveled on private jets and in limousines. His meetings took place in luxury hotels and even Saudi palaces.

He was also given money for travel expenses at the Saudi Embassy in Islamabad, which he considered a bribe, he said.

Furthermore, Moussaoui said his primary point of contact with the royal family was Prince Turki al-Faisal Al Saud, and that Turki introduced him to other prominent members of the family, including another former Saudi ambassador to Washington, Prince Bandar bin Sultan.

New allegations of Saudi involvement in 9/11

[jk]

Re: Meanwhile Back in the Sandbox...

bush abdullah saudi holding hands.jpeg