Muslims, while they expect submission from their people they are really about power and they will claim that power whatever way necessary,throw in money and they know no bounds. Afghanistan is different because there never was any cohesive government, they are a country ruled by tribes. Submit or die....if another war lord wants what you have, you can either join them or they will kill you, the people under the dead warlord then switch sides until someone stronger comes along. They are extremely primitive.
The ME was more settled when the Shah was in power...he ruled with an Iron Fist, the region knew it......he may have been Muslim but he loved the power and money that came along with being allied with the US, did he love us? I don’t believe he did, but it was in his best interest to align himself with us........then ole Jimmy Carter came along...he believed the Shah a brutal dictator, he was in our eyes but not in the eyes of the muslims........he was the strong horse. Once Iran was taken over by the extremists, the region became unsettled.
My brother has been in the ME for years...right now he is back in Baghdad, before that Afghanistan...when dealing with them, they will buck at you, you buck back they back down... They are constantly testing your resolve. Obama has no resolve whatsoever....God only knows what he said to Karzai in private! It is in Karzai’s best interest to have us in the region and he knows it. We leave he is dead...no elections....assassination and Lord knows who will be next...at least with Karzai there we have some power.......Obama will squander it, no doubt.
“My brother has been in the ME for years...right now he is back in Baghdad, before that Afghanistan...when dealing with them, they will buck at you, you buck back they back down... They are constantly testing your resolve.”
I have heard this over and over from US Soldiers.
Thanks for your honesty, and good luck to your brother.