Millhouse

No. We will leave it to (hopefully) fizzle out (over a 20 year period), like the wars and mass genocides in Africa.

The GCC will bomb the shit out of it, the US will give strategic advice and drones. No upside in sending in boots, we don't even need the oil anymore.

shiva

hhmm, i'm not sure either way.

I believe a ground confrontation is inevitable but by who and with how much western support I'm not sure.

It seems the west is hell bent on ignoring the issue as much as it can as another ground war in the region is political suicide for whoever suggests it but without the wests support its unlikely the gcc can win.

I think that the west maybe hoped it would have led to Assad's demise by now and fizzled out....

Millhouse

exactly. If we were going to do it, we would have gone in by now.

flares

You'd have thought with all that money they could've employed a branding consultant and sorted the flag out. A 4 year old could draw a neater circle

Bahtatboy

Bit difficult to stomach irreverent comments with today's news of 400 women and children slaughtered, many beheaded.

I don't see that any of the ME countries have the balls to put boots on the ground, unless a rich one is directly threatened--and I don't count the bombing in Saudi as a direct threat. Yet. Even then I can't see Saudi marching in. Any clear move against Israel would create an interesting reaction, from both Israel itself and the US. Otherwise, FUBARepair.

Gordon Barlow

More to the point: how will we survive with so many sheep nodding their acceptance of anything their official media reports as the truth. Sometimes, conspiracies really do exist - believe it or not.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-0...resident-assad

Boomhauer

Sorry old boy but you've been reported to Crown Prosecution Service for uttering a racial epithet

norsk

Quoting some obscure alternative media source isn't really going to convince me. Anyway there is no doubt in my mind that foreign (read US, UK, Russia, Iran blah blah blah) have been and continue to be involved in rigging global politics for their own purposes, but making this out to be something new is lame at best.

I lived in Bahrain during the trouble in 2011. I know better than anyone that the story pumped out by the official news channels such as BBC, Sky, CNN, Fox is complete bullshit.

scot47

There is no "News" from the ME. It is all propaganda dressed up one way or another.

Gordon Barlow

I'm not going to get into a shouting match with you, Norski, but let me point out that I did not make this out to be "something new". So. "lame at best"? Give it a rest.

norsk

Are you trying to insult me by changing my name?

Next I imagine you'll be telling us how Neil Armstrong took a big step for mankind in Arizona as if it is hot off the press...

bye

Gordon Barlow

Not at all. "Norski" is how I refer to all Norwegians, including my son and grandchildren. No need for paranoia, on this occasion.

norsk

No paranoia. Just amused, but fair enough explanation.

Good blog by the way. And I'm sure Cayman is nicer than Dubai despite the standard local v expat issues.

Gordon Barlow

Thank you, Norski (if I may!). I guess you must have read my March posting titled "Entertaining the Norskies" - proof positive that I really do use the term Norski in real life. I think it sounds cute.

Autonomy

And again - in Damman - with the message of:-

Isis acknowledges it is trying to stir sectarian confrontation as a way of hastening the overthrow of the ruling Al Saud family, and has urged young Saudi Sunnis in the kingdom to attack targets including Shia.

Do you get the feeling this is the beginning of a sustained campaign of such bombings?

Isis claims responsibility for second Saudi Arabia suicide bombing | World news | The Guardian