[rightwingintelligentsia]

Alliances and rivalries in the ME are so complicated, it's hard to follow them without a scorecard (and even with one). It's not always a simple matter of one religious group against another. For example, the Muslims in Syria are mostly Sunni, led by an ostensibly secular government and a ruling family that is of a different Muslim sect altogether, and they have thrown their lot in with the Iranian and Lebanese Shiites for political purposes. I don't think I'll ever figure it all out.

[attiladhun2]

All alliances in this region are of an ad hoc nature. They can quite literally change right in the midst of battle. Aside from hatred of Israel, I see not a single issue that can hold these people together.

[BIGLOOK]

Alliances and rivalries in the ME are so complicated, it's hard to follow them without a scorecard (and even with one).

The area is full of competing tribes but Syria...and Iraq...have a national socialist political party, the Baath party. What the attraction is to Hizballah and the Iranian regime is beyond me other than the simple goal of control of the greater part of the Middle East.