US faces historic setback in the Middle East
By M K Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline | June 23, 2017
The bloc of four Arab countries led by Saudi Arabia that imposed an embargo against Qatar on June 5 has finally presented their charter of demands. An AP dispatch, lists the 13 demands. The most striking demands include Doha reducing ties with Iran, severing relationships with Hezbollah and the Muslim Brotherhood, closing a Turkish military base in the country, and shuttering state broadcaster Al Jazeera and several news outlets.
Interestingly, Qatar is also expected to “consent to monthly audits for the first year after agreeing to the demands, then once per quarter during the second year. For the following 10 years, Qatar would be monitored annually for compliance.” All this means that abject, unconditional capitulation by Qatar only will satisfy its ‘big brothers’ – nothing less. By the way, there is also a timeline to comply – within the next 10 days – or else the demands get ratcheted up.
To my mind, Qatar will have no difficulty to see this is nothing short of a thinly-veiled push for ‘regime change’. The regime’s response can only be that these Arab bigwigs can go and hang themselves.
What happens next? Simply put, the (Sunni) Muslim Middle East is about to split and the historic schism will have profound consequences for regional and international security.
Make no mistake, this latest development also signifies a slap on the face for the Trump administration. Only last Tuesday, US state department warned Saudi Arabia to resolve the standoff without any further delay lest direct US intervention became necessary, doubting the stance taken by Riyadh (which is widely regarded as carrying the imprimatur of the new Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman) and showing broad empathy with Qatar (where the US Central Command is headquartered.) Curiously, the US spokesperson also had alluded to Saudi Arabia’s past involvement in terrorism “whether it’s through terror financing or other means”.
Evidently, Saudi pride has been touched to the quick and Riyadh has taken exception to the US censuring. Without doubt, these demands are a show of defiance at Washington, too. This is all now going to become a protracted crisis in all likelihood, which will seriously debilitate the US’ regional strategies – unless of course Qatar crawls on its knees — and weaken its war against the ISIS.
To be sure, Turkey will take great exception to the Saudi demand that its so-called military base in Doha should be shut down unceremoniously. President Recep Erdogan will see this demand as an intolerable affront to Ottoman legacy. The VOA reported on Thursday that Turkey has been moving food and troops to Qatar in a big way.
Quite obviously, the crux of the matter is that the virus of Arab Spring is hibernating in Qatar and it threatens to become an epidemic someday again, threatening the autocratic regimes in the Middle East. Only Turkey, Iran and Israel are immune to the virus of democratic empowerment. Evidently, Al Jazeera and the Muslim Brotherhood are driving the sheikhs crazy in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain and threaten the military dictatorship in Egypt.
The credibility of the US on the ‘Arab Street’ is now irreparably damaged. For President Donald Trump all this becomes a big political embarrassment domestically. (Bloomberg ) It remains to be seen how the US can afford to sustain its belligerent posturing in Syria and Iraq much longer without any regional allies from the Arab world.
The Trump administration’s containment strategy against Iran seems destined to collapse even before its launch and Trump’s pet project of the ‘Arab NATO’ looks a macabre joke. Can the US ever restore its hegemony over the Muslim Middle East? Doubtful. A big slice of modern history of the western hegemony over Arabs is breaking away and drifting toward the horizon. To be sure, Russians are coming!
4 Comments »
Leave a comment
Featured Video
9-11 Is the Litmus Test
or go to
Aletho News Archives – Video-Images
From the Archives
Climate Science: Is it Currently Designed to Answer Questions?
By Prof. Richard S. Lindzen | Global Research | September 22, 2014
Program in Atmospheres, Oceans and Climate. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Global Research 30 November 2009
Abstract
For a variety of inter-related cultural, organizational, and political reasons, progress in climate science and the actual solution of scientific problems in this field have moved at a much slower rate than would normally be possible.
Not all these factors are unique to climate science, but the heavy influence of politics has served to amplify the role of the other factors. By cultural factors, I primarily refer to the change in the scientific paradigm from a dialectic opposition between theory and observation to an emphasis on simulation and observational programs. The latter serves to almost eliminate the dialectical focus of the former.
Whereas the former had the potential for convergence, the latter is much less effective. The institutional factor has many components. One is the inordinate growth of administration in universities and the consequent increase in importance of grant overhead. This leads to an emphasis on large programs that never end. Another is the hierarchical nature of formal scientific organizations whereby a small executive council can speak on behalf of thousands of scientists as well as govern the distribution of ‘carrots and sticks’ whereby reputations are made and broken. The above factors are all amplified by the need for government funding.
When an issue becomes a vital part of a political agenda, as is the case with climate, then the politically desired position becomes a goal rather than a consequence of scientific research. This paper will deal with the origin of the cultural changes and with specific examples of the operation and interaction of these factors. In particular, we will show how political bodies act to control scientific institutions, how scientists adjust both data and even theory to accommodate politically correct positions, and how opposition to these positions is disposed of. … continue
Blog Roll
Recent Comments
Aletho News- They Think We Are Stupid, Volume 8
- Russian Strike on Kharkov TV Tower Deprives Ukraine’s Army of Eyes and Ears for Spying
- Ukraine, Israel Aid Bill ‘Abomination’ That Will Prolong Suffering – Former US Diplomat
- New $17Bln Aid to Israel ‘Last Nail in Coffin of US Credibility’ – ex-US Envoy to Riyadh
- Pro-Palestine rallies spread on US campuses despite heavy repression
- Google fires more employees protesting giant deal with Israel
- EU will be the biggest loser if it confiscates assets – Moscow
- ‘Let’s debunk the myth that mass migration brings an economic benefit,’ says former UK immigration minister
- The WHO and Pandemic Response – Should Evidence Matter?
- ‘Misinformation’ and ‘disinformation’ in the pandemic treaty
- If Americans Knew
- Blinken claims State Dept has no double standard favoring Israel – Day 199
- Still no evidence of UNRWA employees’ participation in October 7th – Day 198
- New mass grave found in Gaza with at least 180 bodies – Day 197
- UNICEF: one child in Gaza is killed or injured every ten minutes – Day 196
- “October 7” Documentary: The Lies
- “October 7” Documentary: Israeli Military Kills Israelis
- “October 7” Documentary: Israeli Failures
- “October 7” Documentary: The Background
- “October 7” Documentary: The Full Story
- “October 7” Documentary: The Director
- Richie Allen
- The Richie Allen Show Returns Tomorrow Wednesday April 24th
- Call Richie Today Monday March 11th From 4.30pm
- Connect To The Richie Allen Show WhatsApp Today
- NHS Asks Patients To Choose From 12 Genders, 10 sexual Preferences & 159 Religions
- The Richie Allen Show Moves To A New Time Slot From Monday Nov 20th
- Starmer Will Sack Shadow Ministers Who Vote For Gaza Ceasefire
- AI Tool Can Predict Heart Attacks Years In Advance
- Nepal Bans TikTok To Preserve Social Harmony
- Bloke Appointed Boss Of Womb Health Charity
- WHO – “Gaza’s Biggest Hospital Becoming A Cemetery”
- No Tricks Zone
- “New Ice Age Has Begun,” Astrophysicist Warns…Due To Reduced Solar Activity
- 3 Physicists Use Experimental Evidence To Show CO2’s Capacity To Absorb Radiation Has Saturated
- Winter Weather Slams Into Large Parts Of Europe…Madrid Spain Sees Snow!
- New Study Unveils Global Warming’s 65-Year-Old ‘Evaporation Paradox’ Problem
- Rise And Fall Of The German Economy… Energy Debacle Leading To Economic Meltdown
- Antarctica Is Colder, Icier Now Than Any Time In 5000 Years. The Last Warm Period Was 1000 Years Ago.
- Comprehensive Russian Temperature Reconstruction Shows Warmer Temperatures 1000 Years Ago!
- Germany Electric Car Sales Plummet 30% As Country Floats Idea Of Weekend Driving Ban!
- Three More New Temperature Reconstructions Document A Warmer Medieval Period
- The Lake Garda Climate-Freak-Show Disappears… Italy’s Largest Lake Now Overflowing!
Aletho News 
“and shuttering state broadcaster Al Jazeera and several news outlets”.
Just that alone is an admission that “The first casualty of War is the Truth”.(Al Jazeera was started by disgruntled BBC journalists). The bullying of one of the only countries in the Middle East that openly supports Palestine(and therefore benefits Israel) suggests that Israel is behind this completely undemocratic move by the “Gang of Four”, and, of course, the USA(“The World’s Policeman”) will wave then through, with a “Nod and a Wink”…….
LikeLike
Qatar should go all in. The bullying wont stop without a aggressive counterattack, the american airport can be given to russians and turks. Off course this is how worldwars begin but in this case it wil prevent or at least delay a iran-israeli global war by proxy.
LikeLike
Theoretically, Qatar should appeal to the United Nations, for “Fair and Reasonable” treatment, but such is the structure of the UN, that the members of the Security Council have the right to Veto resolutions passed by the General Assembly, which ‘eliminates’ “Democracy” in World terms.
The people who run the World, have thought of everything(to over-ride or eliminate) DEMOCRACY………
LikeLike
Qui bono?–the Zioentity, chortling over its schemes to divide and conquer, to distract the narrative ever further from Palestine, to move (always with deception) toward its lust for “greater Zioland” not only in Palestine but in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq. Egypt, Jordan, KSA and beyond (with Iran the ultimate gold ring) had better beware and cover their arses, as their effing machinations and capitulation to the Zios are just what the Zios ordered. They have lost track of their true enemy — its intentions and always-psychosis-ridden actions…always aided and abetted, of course, by Zionist-Occupied America.
As usual, terrific reporting by Mr. Bhadrakumar!
LikeLike