Middle East - what is happening today.

Near East or Middle East.

An oil rich region but problematic area. The Near East Countries where the Far East countries hanging tightly economically for the oil and the Suez Canal passage to Europe and the West.

The earliest civilizations in history were established in this region now known as the Middle East around 3500 BC, in Mesopotamia (Iraq), widely regarded as the cradle of civilization. The Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians and Assyrians all flourished in this region. Soon after the Sumerian civilization began, the Nile River valley of ancient Egypt was unified under the Pharaohs in the 4th millennium BC, and civilization quickly spread through the Fertile Crescent to the west coast of the Mediterranean Sea and throughout the Levant. The Phoenicians, Israelites and others later built important states in this region.

This region had been in shamble since 1948 when the British settled the Jews back to so call “Israel”. The 1967 War, Libya revolution, Iran Islamic Revolution, Iran/ Iraq war, Russian invasion of Afghanistan, Sadam invaded Kuwait, the Desert Storm, War on Terror on Afghanistan, US invasion of Iraq etc etc. All these arise due to oil, direct involvement of US in Israel, presence of US and involving with the Middle East affairs.

These regions were once colonized; the British, the French, and the Soviets departed many parts of the Middle East during and after World War II. Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the Middle East states on the Arabian Peninsula generally remained unaffected by World War II. However, after the war, the following Middle states had independence restored or became independent:

• 17 October 1941 – Iran (forces of the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union withdrawn)
• 22 November 1943 – Lebanon
• 1 January 1944 – Syria
• 22 May 1946 – Jordan (British mandate ended)
• 1947 – Iraq (forces of the United Kingdom withdrawn)
• 1947 – Egypt (forces of the United Kingdom withdrawn to the Suez Canal area)

The struggle between the Arabs and the Jews in Palestine culminated in the 1947 United Nations plan to partition Palestine. This plan attempted to create an Arab state and a Jewish state in the narrow space between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. While the Jewish leaders accepted it, the Arab leaders rejected this plan.

On 14 May 1948, when the British Mandate expired, the Zionist leadership declared the State of Israel. In the 1948 Arab-Israeli War that immediately followed, the armies of Egypt, Syria, Transjordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia intervened and were defeated by Israel. About 800,000 Palestinians fled from areas annexed by Israel and became refugees in neighboring countries, thus creating the "Palestinian problem," which has bedeviled the region ever since. Approximately two-thirds of 758,000—866,000 of the Jews expelled or who fled from Arab lands after 1948 were absorbed and naturalized by the State of Israel.

The departure of the European powers from direct control of the region, the establishment of Israel, and the increasing importance of the oil industry, marked the creation of the modern Middle East. These developments led to a growing presence of the United States in Middle East affairs. The U.S. was the ultimate guarantor of the stability of the region, and from the 1950s the dominant force in the oil industry. When republican revolutions brought radical anti-Western regimes to power in Egypt in 1954, in Syria in 1963, in Iraq in 1968 and in Libya in 1969, the Soviet Union, seeking to open a new arena of the Cold War in the Middle East, allied itself with Arab rulers such as Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt and Saddam Hussein of Iraq. These regimes gained popular support through their promises to destroy the state of Israel, defeat the U.S. and other "western imperialists," and to bring prosperity to the Arab masses. When they failed to deliver on their promises, they became increasingly despotic.

The Europeans spoilt the region before World War II and the US screwed it up after World War II till now. The US only interested with the oil that the region produces and at the same time they strongly arm the Israelis to scare off and police the Arabs. It is an open secret that Israel has several nuclear weapons but Iran no can do.

(Fact extracted from Wikipedia but the opinion is solely mine).

Walk The Talk.

In his first public response to the Libyan crisis since Friday, Obama said the "suffering and bloodshed is outrageous and is unacceptable.'' And echoing past commanders-in-chief who have issued ultimatums before taking action, Obama declared in a brief statement at the White House Wednesday evening: "This violence must stop.''

Yes…….agreed with Obama 101% but at the same time US must pull out from Afghanistan & Iraq, stop droning Northern Pakistan and stop the Israelis with the new settlements. Just count the number of lives gone for US involvement in Iraq, Afghanistan, Northern Pakistan and Gaza. US wanted to get rid of Sadam Hussein and that poor guy hanged and dead but what the hell US is still doing in Iraq? Is it not a violence act?

"The world is watching,'' Obama declared. He said the Libyan government "must be held accountable'' for violating international norms and "every standard of common decency.''

Yes……the world is watching US too. Are US not violating international norm and every standard of common decency? US invaded and went to War with Afghanistan and Iraq without the UN sanctions. US went into Iraq under the pretext of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Did US found any? In the first instance, who supplied the WMD to Sadam Hussein? US armed the Afghans to fight against the Russians and when Afghans won, US abandoned Afghanistan to ruin. There was no common decency.

And throughout this time of transition, the United States will continue to stand up for freedom, stand up for justice, and stand up for the dignity of all people.

What about the dignity of the Iraqis, Afghans and the Palestinians???

THE WORLD WOULD BE A BETTER PLACE IF US CARE TO HAVE A SECOND LOOK AT ITS FOREIGN POLICY. I am looking at the point of JUSTICE.

I HATE WAR.

The Domino Effect.

My biggest fear is the domino effect in the Middle Eastern Arab countries arising from the success of Tunisia Revolution and the current turmoil then in Cairo as posted on 2 February 2011. The Egyptians stood strong to their revolutionary demonstrations and finally topple Hosni Mubarak on 11 February 2011. That paves the way for the other Middle Eastern countries to follow suit.

The tendency, Muamar Ghadafi will go next but he prefers to die in Libya. That is his choice as he was once guided a revolution in Libya himself. On 1 September 1969 Ghadafi, then 28 years old, under a military coup disposed King Idris as-Senussi while the King was undergoing medical treatment in Turkey.

Self decorated Ghadafi, 42 years on the throne.

Today the domino effect is strongly blowing in Libya, Bahrain, and Yemen. Along with it lives unnecessary succumbed to either rubber or live bullets. Some call it “martyr”. Martyr is only when one is dead defending the religion of Islam, not dead revolting against the Government. The citizens want to bring down Monarchy and Revolution Leader to taste the freedom of Democracy. The people rise against the respective government and demand those in power to abdicate and leave the nation. Other countries in the Middle East are getting jittery unstable and worried what may come tomorrow.

Libya.

Yemen.

Baharain.

As a matter of fact no Monarchy, President and Prime Minister can please every citizens of the country. (Only Brunei can please all her citizens). No street demonstration can be peaceful because someone would take advantage and the whole so call peaceful demonstration can blare off. Eventually, the aftermath is painful to everybody and nobody gain.

The impact – the whole world will tend to suffer, that’s you and me. The price of oil will skyrocket and eventually commodity price would follow. Civil war may erupt in certain country and many more live will go. Countries where commodity prices cannot be control anymore would become a victim as the people will rise against them. The poor will suffer even worse. The mentality of the “uncivilized” and “opposition prone” is nothing but demonstrate against the government without understudying the root cause.

Definitely the year 2011, the Year of the Rabbit started very badly and Allah willing we all can ride through it with minimal impact. With rational thinking, insyaalah, we as Malaysians can do it.

I seek for democratic justice and freedom.