Maybe I didn’t word it right. I have no problem with trading and doing business with the Middle Eastern countries. The problem I see is that obama and his regime have alterior motives when it comes to dealing with the ME. The perception is that he has sided with the most radical and disruptive elements in the ME, and may use any means, including punitive financial sanctions to further his goals. What I am saying is that maybe the cooler heads among the governments in the ME should form more local alliances with their neighbors, and plan for dealings that don’t involve the US, at least for the time being. Just like the ME, the US has its own radical elements to deal with, including the ones currently residing in the white house.
The alliances exist and are working.
The primary alliance is the Arab league.
Then there is the GCC, the Gulf Cooperation council consisting of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Oman. Generally, Saudi Arabia is their voice. The recent statement by a high Saudi cleric to the effect that ISIL was not Islam is a powerful statement. There is some question in my mind about Qatar being completely in the fold so I will hold them aside. Originally, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the USA were allied to oust Bashir Assad. Defecting Syrian officers and troops fled to Turkey where they met with the coalition noted.
We don’t know what happened to the cohesion but it fell apart when Obama would not agree to some unknown way forward.
Turkey has also not been so prominent in the fight.
With the Saudi announcement it is my belief that the coalition is now going to resist the ISIL extremism. How? I have no clue.
Then there is Egypt. The GCC led by Saudi Arabia saved Egypt from the Moslem Brotherhood. Egypt has been tough on Hamas and Gaza...... contrary to the gloom and doom on Free Republic whete many feared the death of Israel at the hands of Egypt. Just the opposite has occurred.
We learned yesterday of UAE air strikes believed to be from Egyptian bases on Libya. The UAE planes had to traverse SaUdi air sPACE so the strikes had Saudi tacit approval.
We have spent lots of money training the forces of the GCC and Egypt. It seems to be paying off.