Arab Uprisings

Book Depository

If you wish to understand the Syrian situation, or indeed the Middle East today in any way you need to read this book.  The BBC Middle East correspondent Jeremy Bowen has 12 years experience of the region, sometimes in great danger, occasionally being shot at and occasionally hit.  
Bowen takes us through the last few years of 'revolution, from the beginning in Tunisia, through Libya, Egypt, Yemen, and of course a great deal of the book covers the Syrian situation.  The whole area is split into many factions, religious and political.  In some states such as Tunisia a 'secular' approach is found even though the majority call themselves Muslim.  In Egypt the Muslim Brotherhood won the first election because they had a well ordered organisation that had been working since the time of Nasser, the middle class secular city dwellers did not possess such and lost out through squabbling amongst themselves.  A violent uprising in Libya, supported by the western air forces, removed Qaddafi from power but has not led to a peaceful settlement.  Militias, Islamist''s and criminals hold much power yet.  Saudi has thrown £100 billion at avoiding rebellion in the state, more on offer in an attempt to keep the Kings position safe. Yemen alone has begun a six month 'conversation' to decide the future of that troubled state. Some secular people find themselves at odds with Al-Qaeda types from the mountains in the north. Iraqis seek to go their own way in spite of being allies but not lackeys of Iran, and Iran aids Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon while saying little.  
Iran finds itself Saudia Arabia's main enemy, and the Saudi's have attempted to invite a US invasion.  This has not found much support in Washington where foreign adventures are harder militarily and public opinion opposes violently!   Iran is of course Shia Muslim, Saudi Arabia Sunni. That sectarian divide runs through the region threatening to explode and involve many nations. Syria, led by 'Alawite' Assad who finds himself supported by rich Sunni businessmen and minority Christians now is being opposed by Sunni extremists who are proving stronger than the original rebels, who just wanted a more prosperous and safe life without the secret police beating them. This conflict falls over into Lebanon where the delicate balance is under threat. Here some 18 groupings share power.  Already sections of some towns are unreachable because of the conflict there and almost anything could lead to this part of the world giving us a war of First World War proportions.  That conflict was savage enough, this would be much, much worse! 
Bowen provides no answers here.  This book merely covers the ground, explaining the background, allowing us to see from both sides and here the words, often truthful in spite of the dangers, exposing the immense difficulty anyone has in producing peace quickly in this area today.   The west has little understanding of what to do, William Hague the UK Foreign Secretary spouts comments often but Bowen leaves us in no doubt as to the limited information and government double speak on offer here.  The west wish to support the good side and now, after Iraq, find they have an Iraq government that is friendly to Iran the west's enemy, support by the million given to rebels in Syria, the strongest of whom are Al-Qaeda types, the types that threaten our troops and encourage bombs and murder on UK streets!  The confusion does not stop there just look at the Islamist's in Libya who we provided air cover for!  
To understand the Middle East it is imperative to read a book like this.  No doubt there are others around but I found this book full of clarity on the situation from a man who risks his life, carefully, to meet the people and report the situation.  One of the BBC's better journalists his writing enlightens the minds of those who wish to see the Middle East as she is today.  
  
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The Gaddafi Escapade Comes to an End.

Daily Mail Report

So Gaddafi is dead, apparently found hiding in a 'hole' and then beaten and shot to death by his captors. This reminds me how Mussolini met his death, hanging upside down from a lamppost.  Mussolini was the man on whom the Colonel styled himself.  He has met a similar fate to his hero.  Touching in some way, but just a little bit barbaric. Now the comrades who have fought and suffered together will soon begin the long hard process of stabbing one another in the back to grab power, democratically, for themselves. The allies who have supported them with air power are as we speak sending their representatives to Libya to grab as much oil, reconstruction contracts and trade as they can grab before the others move in.  Still, a 'dictator' has gone.  

Hmmm I suppose there are a few questions that require asking, I wonder how many will be brushed under the carpet?

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Cynic, me?

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Amy Winehouse was buried today bringing to an end a sad story. I noticed however the cynical manner with which the media covered the tale. The one regarded as 'Shameful,' who suffered 'Horrors,' all of her 'Own Making,' has lost the 'SHAME,' tag and now it has become, 'Tragic.'  The 'Sad' life of  'Poor Amy,' now brings out the sentiment from the 'popular press.'  Sympathy oozes from the media (in spite of which they continue to take 'up close' pics of tearful mourners) as they recognise many are saddened by her untimely death. So it is out with stories of 'drink and drug crazed happenings' and in with 'tears,' for the 'poor girl.'
Please let the tabloid press be closed down, please?

Our 'Dave' has run for the hills once again!  While he is on 'holiday,' his right hand man, no not Clegg, don't be silly, has been left in charge. William Hague, the Foreign Minister, is covering for the Prime Minister, and as we now expect from 'Dave' a major event is being unveiled when he is not around to comment.  The major event, and major it really is, appears to be the end of the Libyan conflict and not by military force as 'Dave' had hoped but by allowing President Gaddafi to resign his position and yet continue to live in Libya!  

 Brilliant!

First he attacks and expects Gaddafi to collapse like the other North African countries have under the Arab Spring, this does not happen.  Then the Yanks have decided two wars have been enough and they cannot afford to even lend us their aircraft anymore ('Dave' has sold of most of ours).  Now the French, our co-conspirators in this daft attack, are urging talks with Gaddafi and the suggestion that he can stand down and stay in Libya comes from them, they have a presidential election coming their way soon haven't they!  So William has to inform the world, under cover of the Norwegian tragedy, that it might be possible for an agreement to be reached!  

How the mad president must be rejoicing! Reagan, when awake, attempted to kill him and missed, we have tried it and missed also, wherever he is, and now we offer peace terms!  Does anyone really expect him to rush forward and kneel before us?  He realises he has the nap hand, he is on top, nothing can end him now can it?  Half his nation may have been lost, possibly most of his people are against him, but he has survived again and the mighty west are now seeking an end to a war they ought not to have started and have clearly lost!

Still, another 'U' Turn for 'Dave' is part of his 'Big Society' isn't it?  A 'U' Turn a day keeps the er, well it keeps his staff busy hiding him in foreign land if nothing else.  Another failure for this mistake of a PM.  Just how did he get his job I wonder, how did he get into such a position?

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Lord Snooty

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Beano Artists

How long before Cameron falls apart? Once again he is offering a 'U' Turn on shorter sentences, forcing his struggling 'Justice Minister' to sack other lower orders to save a few million pounds, this after the dotty bald guy at the DWP forced to do a 'U' Turn on pensions because this upset a few ageing women!  The fact that men suffer sexism regarding pensions makes no odds here, women work for less time (and do less at work) get all the benefits in law, and now whine because a few might lose a little while most men lose much! This PC PM spends to much time on PR instead of leading the country. Is this the fiftieth 'U' Turn of his year or have we long past that mark?  


Our friend BIG RAB has a wonderful post regarding Cameron's abuse of the RAF and his costly needless war for Libya's oil.. His abuse of the RAF follows on from his abuse of the Navy only the other day. Having sold all the ships and their aircraft he wants the Navy to work beyond their capabilities and shut up about it. He even brought the First Lord in to shout him down, probably with a 'Fag' to stand nearby in case the Admiral got rough. Clegg needs to show his support somehow. Sir Simon Bryant, Air Chief Marshall of the RAF, is now informing the poor rich boy that they don't have the pilots to cover two wars! Not enough pilots, not enough planes, not enough spare parts or mechanics and 5000 to lose their jobs!  "We are all in this together says the man in a thousand pound suit!"  He needs to change that to "You are all in a dole queue, but I'm all right Jack!"  The RAF are claiming we cannot go on much longer. Gaddafi must be removed in three months as we fall apart then.  I await this brave man's redundancy notice coming through the post.  


How much longer will we have to put up with this boy in charge?  He has so many failings and there is no opposition to him anywhere. What an Attlee or indeed any other Labour leader could do to him! Instead sitting opposite is ....whatsisname?  Both front benches are full of middle class liberals who have never worked in their lives. The 'Punk' generation have arrived and that generation had nothing to say at the time and shows it today. 'Me first,' 'my needs are what counts,'  is the attitude.  We had leaders who had fought through war, Callaghan and Heath, this was followed by 'Baby Boomers' few of whom reached power in the UK it must be said. "Make love not war," was the chant as that generation attempted a better society, much of which was lost to VD and drug addiction. Clinton in the US got to the top and tried to be another JFK but this time the media would not keep quiet. Now we have those brought up with a 'silver spoon' in their gobs with no concern for anyone but their advancement telling real people how to live. At least the mad baroness had run a shop at one time, overcharging her customers and blaming everyone but herself for the faults I suspect, and those were attitudes the bitch never lost. 


A shocking mob we have of public school louts looking down at us these days. Bring back Attlee I say! Public school educated maybe but non pretentious, considerate for others, with a 'can do' attitude, and don't let the powerful run over the rest, that's what we need today. Although someone running a government Jag, or perhaps a Centurion Tank over 'Dave' would be of benefit to us all.

Daily Record

It started yesterday, Wimbledon I mean. "Will Andy win?" "Will it rain?" "Do I care?" Well NO! is the answer to that!  Wimbledon means two weeks of total coverage of this middle class game, fawning over Andy until he gets knocked out, then girning about the 'miserable Scot.' He will be 'British' until he loses when, as you will understand, he becomes a 'Scot' once again. English racism, ingrained in the media, knows no end. Can he actually win Wimbledon? I suspect this is the one major he does have a chance of winning,but with Nadal and Ferarer or whatever his name is I doubt he will. These two, and the unpronounceable other fellow are a step higher than 'Our Andy.'  He may get to a semi final, possibly the final, but I cannot see him win. 

It might make better television if this slab of grass down Church Road was to be sold off and turned into 'social housing.' 'Social Housing' in Wimbledon? More chance of Maggie Thatcher having pictures of Che Guevara on the wall!  For two weeks every year we are subject to this monotony. Incessant babble, rain covered tennis courts, replays of past tennis, banal talk from ex players, and Sue Barker who at least we can look at.  Tennis is dominated by women of course, they tend top prefer games which are one v one rather than team games and turn out in their thousands for this. In the early eighties we delivered around Wimbledon, as early as possible due to the crowds and the alteration to the roads, and up Church Road were several thousand fans, mostly young females, who had been there all night awaiting the doors opening. We had one question, what did they do for the loo?  There was no obvious answer to that!  There was a suggestion that to save money the Formula 1 and Wimbledon may be dumped! Wooppeee! I say. Now if we can just get the BBC to spend the cash on football and take it from ITV we are on a winner!  

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To What Purpose?

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                                                                               Sky News

Last night two Apache Helicopters flew from one of the few remaining Royal Navy ships and attacked targets in Libya. To what purpose I ask? I still find it difficult to comprehend the reasons for being in this conflict in the first place!

Alongside our French comrades (they also sent helicopters after targets last night but our media tends to play that down) we have been bombing and strafing Libya for how long now? This was, we were told, a short intervention to support the peoples demand for a removal of Gaddafi, but he still remains and we are still unsure as to who exactly these 'people' who rebel actually are!

Where is this leading? Nobody knows. Removing Gaddafi may well be a good idea, but is that not the Libyans problem, not ours?  We really want him out, and his oil under our control, yet we are caught in this stand-off about which we can do little.  A short intervention we were told, costs covered by reserve cash, yet already a billion, possibly three, have been wasted on 'Dave's' adventure in 'macho' politics. Like most of 'Dave's' PR stunts this one is not working and looks like it will soon be costing us more servicemen for no good reason! Have we not wasted enough of our men in a needless intervention in Iraq 'Dave?' Another died in a failed operation in Afghanistan last night, just how many more 'Dave?' And for what?

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Dave

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Guardian

I wonder if Dave is all right in the head? Not only has he constantly put his foot in it, the other day he claimed Oxford University only contained one black man while in fact there were many, but he continues with the Libyan escapade. Bombing Gaddafi when you think he is about to fall sounds a great idea. However when the man remains in place and the dubious opposition groups continue to look rudderless and incompetent things are beginning to go wrong for you. I reckon you jumped on a bandwagon and have landed yourself with another Iraq! Maybe spending less time on PR and more time on professional politics, like employing senior MPs in your cabinet instead of thrusting young self seeking gormless millionaires, would help? In fact I correct myself, some of them are older gormless self seeking millionaires! You are sinking my boy! 


With US know how removed the French and British fighter bombers are insufficient for the job. With much of the struggle now in town there is limited openings for the aiming of bombs. If you drop one n town you injure the civilians you entered this folly to protect, or at least that is the reason given. Obama made a wise decision, will you Dave? Talk now centres on supplying material to the rebels, although I thought we would not do this? Talk is also mentioning 'men on the ground,' possibly those men you sent redundancy notices to while on the front line in Afghanistan Dave. No ships, no planes, pilots running out, and the remainder overstretched. Sounds right for 3 Para and the rest to invade Dave. 


By the way, how many black Caribbean types from UK areas went to Eton?

AmitBhawani

I received an e-mail from a chap I have not heard off for three years. I was a bit surprised by his phrase, "Here is the link I told you about" as we have not spoken for a while, and thought I had accidentally deleted a previous e-mail, my mouse double clicks often. I clicked the link (subject was 'Ryanair' a notorious cheap airline) and have been struggling for three days to clear the brutes. thousands of files were infected. I knew there was a doubt but, but....but....  
Still most of it is fixed now, as far as I can see.  However as I run the various software to fight it each one takes well over an hour to run! Much time wasted. It was so bad that at one point I thought I might have to leave here and actually speak to real people! Phew, that was close. 


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Libyan farce

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Fast-Air

It is bad enough that no one knows the actual reasons for the West choosing to attack Libya, although the oil is reason number one and two leaders (Cameron & Sarkozy) are desperate to be seen as willing to take decisive action and be considered 'strong' is number two, but the outcome remains clearly unpredictable. This farce continued yesterday when the 'allies' knocked out the tanks and heavy equipment they had spent years selling for a fat profit to Gaddafi and allowed the 'mish-mash' that is the rebel 'army' to advance. This 'army' claimed a victory in taking Sirtie when in fact they had not even reached the place! An ambush by a few regulars in Gaddafi's forces machine gunned this 'army' as they headed towards them in their ageing vehicles and they ran away! Clearly there is no leadership, no organisation, no training and even control in the rebel ranks. Yet NATO is now offering them full support in an attempt, they say, to 'save civilian life.' If these rebels get themselves into Sirtie what will be the result? This is Gaddafi's home town. These are his people. The likely hood is that the people will fight for him and how much 'civilian life' will be lost here? Will the 'allies' put troops in on the ground? They can do little from the air once the battle occurs in built up areas. The question is where will these troops come from? Most nations do not wish to be involved, and Obama has clearly stated he will not send his, the UK is over stretched already and few capable armies are left.  The chances of marching this motley rebel army to Tripoli is frightening. If the smaller town fight back what will occur at the centre of the regime?


This whole operation is covered in lies. Syria is much more repressive yet nothing is done there outside of diplomatic discussions. Syria is too dangerous to touch. That is why a Libyan was blamed for the Lockerbie killings. He was set up through an agreement between the major powers as attacking Syria, then hiding the PFLP who were responsible, would have upset the whole region. Iran certainly lay behind the end of Pan-Am 103, and a Scots village suffered the consequences of Captain Rogers 'John Wayne' approach, but it was impossible to touch anyone but Gaddafi! When Syria is troubled then so is Lebanon, this unsettles Israel and Iran hovers in the wing in menacing fashion. So Syria is ignored and the easy target, Gaddafi, picked on once again. We could ask why is Bahrain is receiving no mention these days, too much money there perhaps, to many connections to powerful people in the UK possibly. The Saudi's, who buy so many of our weapons,  itch to attack their rebels, mostly Shia, will we object if they do? I doubt it.


On top of this the UK governments idiotic monetary policy is shown to heighten the farce element today.Ignoring the hundreds of thousands taking part in a peaceful protest meeting at the weekend objecting to the huge cuts in government spending and the dreadful consequences of this ham fisted policy, not only are experienced front line police officers being forced to retire because of the 20% cut in police money means we can no longer afford them, not only are serious crimes not leading to jail sentences as this 'costs too much,'  but we know discover we do not have enough pilots to fly the missions into Libya! Incredible! We have dumped the Harrier Jump Jets, are selling of the aircraft carriers (while building a new one that will not be ready for years and has no planes to fit it when complete), cutting the numbers of our overworked troops and now have run out of trained pilots! There are insufficient pilots being trained today so that when the experienced men reach the end of their careers we will have insufficient numbers to replace them! We are embarking on conflicts with insufficient cash, we are running out of men, and we have no idea why we are there! I remind the world that this is an unelected government we have here in the UK today! Now British forces have since Boudica attacked the Romans at Camulodunum been insufficiently supplied with men and material so this ought not to surprise anyone. However I suspect that by the time the recruits are trained to fly our lovely new 'Typhoon fighters' we will only have half a dozen left to fly anyway. I also suspect these will be used 24 hours a day to get our moneys worth from them. 
 
Today a conference of interested parties, not counting Gaddafi obviously as he is not interested, will take place in London. While spouting that they do not wish regime change, and conscious of the mess left after the Iraq disaster the suggestion that Gaddafi gets a way out by being 'exiled somewhere far away (with lots of his nations money I suppose) is on the table. While stuffing themselves with the expensive nosh that is also on the table and quaffing champagne the hoi poloi of forty nations will endeavour to fix the Libyan situation in a manner that suits them happily. Whether for the sake of 'democracy,' to 'save lives,' and to benefit the Libyan people I am not sure, especially as the 'people' have not been asked what they want. Let us face it, they have no idea what they want either! This rebellion fed on the situation in Tunisia on one side and Egypt on the other. It has no heart, no leadership and little idea what they are hoping for. Cameron and Sarkozy, backed by the US and others, have jumped on the bandwagon to remove Gaddafi and ensure stability in the production of oil. This will also ensure, they hope, and end to people trafficking from sub-Saharan Africa. Whether it does is as yet unknown, indeed far too much is as yet unknown here. The worrying thing is that while our leaders do not understand the situation nor where it might lead they press on regardless and it is others who will bear the cost in the long run, not they!


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Let Me Get This Straight 'Dave.'

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'Dave,' you have been in the forefront of the desire of some leaders to impose an 'No Fly' zone over Libya, because you say people are being killed by Gaddafi. Now there are those who would agree this may indeed be a good thing. Gaddafi is clearly mental, but sly as a fox, and many have wished to remove him before. However while he may well abuse, torture, kill and maim his own people it must be said that in the Middle East this is quite normal procedure. I will of course not mention that camp the Yanks have in Cuba in case it causes embarrassment to you and any others. However I will ask why we are selling off the Harrier jump jets    and HMS Ark Royal from which they flew, and then spending horrendous amounts of money we don't have just to make you appear 'tough' in the world's eyes. Are you still living out that 'Tony Blair' fantasy by any chance? 


Whether keeping Gaddafi's aircraft on the ground will make any difference for his rebellious population will soon be shown. Although reports have indicated few are actually hurt by air attack. What does matter is that in Bahrain, a friend of the UK and the west in general, people are being brutalised by their Sheik and you appear to be turning a blind eye. Are you working on the 'Tony Blair principle' again? If they are our friends we ignore their undemocratic tortures and thuggish treatment of their population, as long as they give us the oil and help us when required, but will loudly condemn Gaddafi,and anyone else with oil, who may turn against us at any time? Can I just mention that the Ivory Coast has seen many killed in recent days, but they have no oil. The Sudanese situation may lead to war, Darfur is being ignored, and the Democratic Congo still has problems. Will you be commenting on any of these while one of the thousand pound suits you wear are at the dry cleaners?  Just asking like.


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