...by Muslim extremists? Destabilize the areas, then pop in and take control..??? All under the guise of "Democracy "which everyone knows the Western countries and the US, will "buy" every single time! Would seem to be a foolproof plan.... I don't know, but it sure rings a bell, doesn't it?
In think it was spontaneous and that every Arab country is NOT alike.. They face different grievances and different challenges.
Brutal Dictatorship, no justice, killing or harming innocent people ...difficulty in obtaining medical care, education , jobs to feed their families.. Please tell me which country has different grievances than those???? It is very popular to say that every case is different, but if you think that. please explain those differences to me..? Most people living under brutal dictatorships, have pretty much the same issues , those of basic human rights !
Let me guess.. You have never been to any Arab country, know nothing about Islam and had never heard of the ME until 2001.
It's more complex than that. The protesters were frequently younger and plugged in to social media. Some call Egypt in particular the "facebook revolution" and for good reason. Just looking at the clothing of the protesters you get a more western feel than a proper extremist would show. However while many protesters may not have wanted to end up with a fundamentalist theocracy, it may be what they get in the end. Even if modernized they're still Muslims. And for some reason there is this dynamic in many of those countries where terrorist or militia based attacks by fundamentalists on their countrymen are somehow blamed on the west, but they still can lead to those fundamentalists gaining ever more power.
"Israel is facing its worst crisis with Egypt for 30 years after being forced to airlift diplomats and their families to safety during the storming of its embassy in Cairo by a violent mob. The siege of the embassy ended, with the 86 Israelis fleeing, only after intervention from the White House following phone calls between the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and United States President Barack Obama. The attack was the latest diplomatic storm to engulf the Jewish state, whose relations with another ally, Turkey, have worsened over the past nine days. Israel is also facing a "diplomatic tsunami" at the UN later this month when a majority of countries are expected to back recognition of a Palestinian state. The embassy attack, in which a security wall was demolished and a group of protesters reached the door of the embassy's secure area, threatened to cause "serious damage in peaceful relations between our two countries", the prime minister said. He added that it was a "grave violation of accepted diplomatic practice". He spent the night with senior officials in a foreign ministry operation room dealing with the crisis. Eighty diplomats and their families were airlifted on an Israeli military plane at 4.40am, but six personnel were trapped inside the building"The Guardian THE ARAB SPRING???
Don't "guess", anything about someone you know nothing about,you'll just make a fool of yourself ! I have been reading books on Islam for 7 years, most of the 25 t0 30 books I have read were written by Islamic women from Iran, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, The UK, Africa and Afghanistan. I have also read many books about Islam and the life of Mohammed, by many male Islamic authors, as well. If you have something to say , that of importance, spit it out ! Only intellectually impaired people think that meaningless nastiness and accusations, constitute a discussion, a debate or even point of view !
Looks like Mullahs of Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood are the winners. Go figure. I don't see "democracy" in the ME anytime soon. They don't know what liberty and freedom is.
Here's my thoughts: http://www.politicalforum.com/middle-east/204668-theres-something-wrong-motivation-war-islamism.html
The "war" is NOT on Islam, it is against a radical, BRUTAL group of extremists who kill innocent people. What is there about that difference that you don't understand?
I lived in several Arab countries for decades and have been reading and studying for 50 years. What would you like to know?
Sure, there's definetely a difference. Though Islam and Islamism as a political movement are different, too. War on terrorism simply means war on radical Islamism, that's what I wanted to mean.
I do not believe that this was indeed a 'master plan' by Muslim extremists. In Libya, people are tired of their dictator living the high life while they are all broke. Simple history tells us that if a dictator or king rules like this, there will be a rebellion. However, I will say that the extremists may use the uprisings to in fact take over the middle east. They see a bunch of weak countries that are all war torn from civil war. So there is a opportunity for a power grab there. The US just needs to ensure with whatever means possible that we can build Libya back up into a government that supports us. If that means a dictator, then we put a dictator in power. Many political scientists say that a nor a democracy or a republic is the best form of government. To them, a dictatorship is the best form; but only if the dictator is a good person and will act in the interest of his people. The US either needs to learn how to build nations to be our allies or never again get involved in foreign conflict.
I have lived in America for over 50 years, but I would never be so foolish as to tell people I know ALL about America, ...or that my opinion is the correct one, just because I have lived there a long time! I do not in anyway discount your experience, but I don't think that even you, with all of your knowledge, and experience, has all of the answers to any question pertaining to the Middle East. Even "Lawrence of Arabia" was more modest than you appear to be, and he did know a few things !
I certainly agree with that, and I am off to visit your beautiful country in a few months...Istanbul..EVERYONE speaks of how polite, considerate and wonderful the People of Turkey are Can't wait!
I don't believe that there is a war on Islam ! There s a war against the fanatical and killers of innocent people, who wish to control the world... THAT is where the problem, and the "Twisting of Islam" to serve their purposes. And they are every bit as "Sick" in the mind and soul, as the Nazi's were! ...remember the beheading in the football field , under the Taliban???
That is the lamest answer there could be - not only were you not able to asnwer a simple question, you instead directly insult a person who asked you something
Something like the Arab Spring was bound to come along. The authoritarian regimes of dubious worth and public support in most of the Middle East were/are strong but brittle and when times got tough or people got annoyed enough there was bound to be trouble. I would agree that the Islamists smell an opportunity in the changing flux in several of these countries but to imagine they successfully led the destabilization of several Arab nations while effectively concealing their hand behind that of a broad coalition of reformers strikes me as very overly paranoid. Libya is probably the most dangerous in this regard because it was closest to a true revolution and that is when small numbers of extremists can seize the chance to take control. Look at the Bolsheviks in Russia or the Jacobins in France where their power was magnified all out of ratio to their numbers in the general population.
Cameron rushed in to "save " them, to show what a "hero" for freedom he was... ....always helpful, when the economy is in the dumper, even after pulling the plug on the disabled and old people !!! So many more deaths, have occured because of NATO and their arrogance.. and unseasoned jerks like Cameron. PS A no fly zone, does not mean bomb the hell out of them, Kill a LOT of civilians whom you claim to be trying to protect., and take out the leader of their country !
Every Arab country is different.. they do not have the same kind of leadership nor do they face the same challenges.. Their solutions will not be identical.
They went after the Copts in a murderous rampage Then the Israeli embassy,in a murderous assault and now back to the Copts... once is not enough???? ( see news of this latest display of " Democracy " ) "Cairo (CNN) -- Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf said Monday that clashes hours earlier between army forces and pro-Coptic Christian protesters had "brought us back" to the tense, violent period at the onset of the recent revolution. "Instead of going forward, we found ourselves scrambling for security," Sharaf said on state television in an early morning speech, noting that the incident had produced "martyrs, both civilian and from the military." The bloodshed in Cairo occurred just over a week after the burning of a Coptic Christian church in southern Egypt. The burning prompted the Sunday protest demanding equality and protection of Coptic places of worship".. ...And surprise, surprise, the Military is NOT going to give over control , after all !
"CAIRO Egypts military rulers are moving to assert and extend their own power so broadly that a growing number of lawyers and activists are questioning their willingness to ultimately submit to civilian authority." (the guardian) Three words : TOLD YOU SO !
The Military in Egypt have basically, seized control in Egypt ( not that they didn't have it anyway) but it has become clear that they have no intention of giving any power to the people.. I don't understand why this topic is not being discussed? Is it too "un PC", because it was not what people wanted to happen? As with the Libya thread, people mainly seem to want to rant against Israel, otherwise, not interested....? I wonder why there is such apathy in this forum, regarding these subjects Any ideas????