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Interestingly, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and all that are the least of his concerns.  In fact, on Iran, Baer's argument is basically the same one that Obama made during the election, except to say that he goes further in saying he doesn't have much of a problem with a nuclear Iran, and that Iran hasn't been involved with terrorism since 1996.

The second book, SWTD, is so far an indictment of the House of Saud both as corrupt rulers and as a mix of appeasers and outright supporters of Sunni terrorism, an investigation into heavy arms trading going into the country, and the implication that the clock is rapidly ticking down on the royal family.

Which is potentially, of course, a very scary prospect -- something that could conceivably make the Taliban taking over Pakistan look like a walk in the park.

Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin

by Drew J Jones (myfriends@thisispancakes.com) on Sat Jun 27th, 2009 at 12:16:13 PM EST
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Wahabi:Saudi Arabia = Taliban:Afganistan. Both are Suni and Saudi "scholarships" for Taliban schools during the resistance to Soviet occupation of Afganistan strengthened the alignment between Wahabi and Talibi.  The Saudi Royal Family has known for a long time that they are riding the tiger of Wahabi religious fervor.  

Abdul Aziz very carefully closed down the Ikwan, or Brotherhood, after they had served the purpose of facilitating the uniting of the peninsula under the House of Saud.  But they have had to accommodate themselves to the attitudes of Wahabi clerics, as inconvenient as that may be to their own lifestyles.  The question of the long term political sustainability of this coexistence remains. I highly doubt that a Wahabi Arabia would be an improvement over Saudi Arabia.  

As the Dutch said while fighting the Spanish: "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."

by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Sat Jun 27th, 2009 at 05:31:37 PM EST
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