Arab Spring

[ila]

Originally Posted by Elonar

Any observations from you regarding the development of Al Quaida training areas in both the Yemen and Somalia ? Any correlation to Iraqi destabilisation ?

Yemen has been an unstable country for decades. No one has ever been able to control the whole country. Al Qaeda was able to set up there because the central government can't control the whole country.

Somalia hasn't had a national government for more than twenty years because of the civil war. It is due to this civil war that Al Qaeda was able to move in there, but I don't think there influence is as great as it was even five years ago.

Some of the problems in Iraq are due to Al Qaeda, but it wouldn't surprise me to find out that Iran is alos a destabilizing force there. Iraq has had internal tensions for a long time, but Hussein was able to keep his country stable although the tension was always just below the surface.

[baasje43]

Stumbling in to this discussion searching for something totally different,
and mostly not so much into this kind of discussions (my english too poor?)
I did read the very well elaborated contributions of SMC.
and it was a flow of recognition.
In the early sixties I was alraedy confused about the notion of the horrors of Hitler and the unbelievebable atrocities of the Israeli occupation (demolitions, murder, etc.) But many called any doubt in that matter as anti semitism. Never got this straight. When I visited a goed friend in 2000 in Israel he and his wife put a stone on the grave of Ben Gurion. I did so too, as an act of courtesy to my friends wife, but with mixed feelings.
I knew it is wrong what Israel does. But all the evidence SMC put together is a eloquent and scholastical piece of historical prove of theis.

Thank You for this.