Saudi Arabia Cuts Its Diplomatic Ties With Iran

[AVG-JOE]

Anyhoo.... Boo and Hiss on the Saudi's over this one. No sympathy here - the Saudi Royal Family screwed the pooch.

I agree with that!

The Saudis started 2016 with it's usual beheading spree....thousands more to come of course!

That is exactly where ISIS- Obama and Saudi Arabia's baby - takes its ideas.

I'm not impressed with the handling of American Foreign Policy over the last 20 years. I'm also not envious of the position that Obama finds himself in: Forced by circumstances to try and un-do 80+ years of a bit of a conquering attitude by 'American Interests' all the while trying not to piss off the current players moving the delicate rivers of cash that grease the World Economy and taking extreme care to never ever say that America was ever wrr.. wrong.

Dancing that number would be a bitch. The United States needs to start supporting peoples right to self determination, even when that won't necessarily get 'American Interests' the best deal at that particular moment on the Timeline. I'd rather make a partner that our grand kids can collaborate with to explore the stars.

The future is THAT way, y'all.

 

[AVG-JOE]

The know-nothings are getting a glimpse of why the nuclear deal with Iran is such a big deal. It will keep them from obtaining an atomic or nuclear weapon which would destabilize the entire region is ways unimaginable.

A conventional war between these two will be bad enough, consider the alternative.

Like...

Like...

Like...

No war?


The beauty and tragedy of The United States is our capability of waging war coupled with our current inability to convince a fucking soul on the planet that we really mean business this time.

Obama screwed the pooch when he let the asshole running Syria for personal profit use chemical weapons with no response. And I'm not seeing much hope in the bullpen.


The Sunnis and the Shiites need to settle this bullshit.

 

[AVG-JOE]

Anyhoo.... Boo and Hiss on the Saudi's over this one. No sympathy here - the Saudi Royal Family screwed the pooch.

I agree with that!

The Saudis started 2016 with it's usual beheading spree....thousands more to come of course!

That is exactly where ISIS- Obama and Saudi Arabia's baby - takes its ideas.

The humans on Earth have been beheading for thousands of years....

There was a point in time when we flung our poo from perches on tree branches. Creatures evolve....

 

[waltky]

History of troubled relations between Saudi Arabia, Iran...

A look at the troubled relations between Saudi Arabia, Iran
Jan 4,`16 -- Iran and Saudi Arabia have had tense diplomatic relations since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that overthrew Iranian Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, although there have been occasional thaws. Here's a look at how ties between the Middle East rivals have shifted:

PRE-REVOLUTION: Iran had rocky relations with Saudi Arabia under the shah, but they improved toward the end of his reign in 1979. Both were original members of the oil cartel OPEC.

POST-REVOLUTION: After the revolution and takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Saudi Arabia became Washington's top ally in the region. In the ensuing war between Iran and Iraq in the 1980s that killed 1 million people, Saudi Arabia backed Iraq despite concerns about dictator Saddam Hussein.

King Saud of Saudi Arabia and his host, the Shah of Iran, travel by jeep on the way to view Iranian army maneuvers. King Saud was paying a state visit to his Persian Gulf neighbor. Diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia have been tense since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, though there have been occasional thaws between the two rivals.​

1987 HAJJ RIOTS: The annual hajj pilgrimage to Islamic holy sites in Saudi Arabia, required of all able-bodied Muslims once in their life, saw bloodshed in 1987 when Iranians held a political demonstration. Iranian pilgrims later clashed with Saudi riot police, and at least 402 people were killed. Iran said 600 of its pilgrims were killed after police opened fire at the crowd. In Tehran, mobs attacked the Saudi, Kuwaiti, French and Iraqi embassies.

SEVERING TIES: Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran in 1988, citing the hajj riots of a year earlier and Iran's attacks on shipping in the Persian Gulf. The countries restored diplomatic ties in 1991.

MORE

See also:

AP Analysis: With execution, Saudis ignite regional tensions
Jan 5,`16 -- By executing a senior Shiite cleric, Saudi Arabia effectively lit a match to set off regional sectarian tensions and its rivalry with Iran, threatening to derail already-shaky peace efforts over the wars in Syria and Yemen. It also is part of a more aggressive stance by the kingdom in the past year, which included launching an air campaign against Shiite rebels in Yemen and increased aid to rebels in Syria.

The policy in part reflects a greater willingness for risk-taking to counter Iranian influence in the Arab world, especially with Riyadh worried about a potential easing of relations between Tehran and Washington in the wake of last year's nuclear deal. But it also has a powerful domestic factor: a show of toughness by King Salman and his son, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, aiming to bolster their rule at a time when Saudi Arabia is facing an economic crisis brought on by low oil prices. To the greater world, however, the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr took on a different appearance. "It looks like an extremely irrational and ill-considered decision to do this," said Christopher Davidson, a professor of Middle East politics at Durham University in Britain. "In my view, it speaks more about the local dynamics in Saudi Arabia itself that are shifting steadily away from the ruling family's control."

A picture of Saudi Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, left, is seen partly painted over by authorities on a wall in the largely Shiite western town of Malkiya, Bahrain, Monday, Jan. 4, 2016. Allies of Saudi Arabia, including the monarchy in neighboring Bahrain, began scaling down their diplomatic ties to Iran in the wake of the ransacking of Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran that followed al-Nimr's execution​

The execution sparked outrage among Shiites around the world, with protests in Iraq, Bahrain and Pakistan, and even in Saudi Arabia's tightly controlled Shiite heartland in the east. Iran's government - which presents itself as a defender of Shiites in the region - loudly condemned the killing. Attackers stormed, ransacked and burned the Saudi Embassy in Tehran, prompting Riyadh to cut off ties in response. Al-Nimr's death was a dramatic step because Saudi Arabia has rarely resorted to the death penalty in dealing with unrest among its Shiite minority, which has long complained of discrimination in the Sunni-led kingdom. A vocal opponent of the Saudi royal family, al-Nimr was seen by Shiites in the region as a political dissident, although he always contended he did not foment violence.

Shiites had warned against his execution ever since a Saudi court convicted him of sedition and other charges and sentenced him to death in 2014. He was executed among a group of 47 people convicted on terrorism charges - almost all connected to Sunni radicals and al-Qaida - painting him with the same brush as a threat to security. For the royal family, the execution signals a tough hand against any trouble from Saudi Arabia's Shiites and bolsters the kingdom's posturing as the champion for Sunni Muslims in the region against Iranian influence. Saudi Arabia's allies rallied it to its side Monday, with a number of nations following its lead in either cutting or reducing diplomatic ties with Iran. The Arab League called an emergency meeting of foreign ministers for Jan. 10 to discuss the attack on the Saudi Embassy and other Iranian "interference in Arab affairs."

MORE

 

[aris2chat]

History of troubled relations between Saudi Arabia, Iran...

A look at the troubled relations between Saudi Arabia, Iran
Jan 4,`16 -- Iran and Saudi Arabia have had tense diplomatic relations since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that overthrew Iranian Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, although there have been occasional thaws. Here's a look at how ties between the Middle East rivals have shifted:

PRE-REVOLUTION: Iran had rocky relations with Saudi Arabia under the shah, but they improved toward the end of his reign in 1979. Both were original members of the oil cartel OPEC.

POST-REVOLUTION: After the revolution and takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Saudi Arabia became Washington's top ally in the region. In the ensuing war between Iran and Iraq in the 1980s that killed 1 million people, Saudi Arabia backed Iraq despite concerns about dictator Saddam Hussein.

King Saud of Saudi Arabia and his host, the Shah of Iran, travel by jeep on the way to view Iranian army maneuvers. King Saud was paying a state visit to his Persian Gulf neighbor. Diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia have been tense since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, though there have been occasional thaws between the two rivals.​

1987 HAJJ RIOTS: The annual hajj pilgrimage to Islamic holy sites in Saudi Arabia, required of all able-bodied Muslims once in their life, saw bloodshed in 1987 when Iranians held a political demonstration. Iranian pilgrims later clashed with Saudi riot police, and at least 402 people were killed. Iran said 600 of its pilgrims were killed after police opened fire at the crowd. In Tehran, mobs attacked the Saudi, Kuwaiti, French and Iraqi embassies.

SEVERING TIES: Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran in 1988, citing the hajj riots of a year earlier and Iran's attacks on shipping in the Persian Gulf. The countries restored diplomatic ties in 1991.

MORE

See also:

AP Analysis: With execution, Saudis ignite regional tensions
Jan 5,`16 -- By executing a senior Shiite cleric, Saudi Arabia effectively lit a match to set off regional sectarian tensions and its rivalry with Iran, threatening to derail already-shaky peace efforts over the wars in Syria and Yemen. It also is part of a more aggressive stance by the kingdom in the past year, which included launching an air campaign against Shiite rebels in Yemen and increased aid to rebels in Syria.

The policy in part reflects a greater willingness for risk-taking to counter Iranian influence in the Arab world, especially with Riyadh worried about a potential easing of relations between Tehran and Washington in the wake of last year's nuclear deal. But it also has a powerful domestic factor: a show of toughness by King Salman and his son, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, aiming to bolster their rule at a time when Saudi Arabia is facing an economic crisis brought on by low oil prices. To the greater world, however, the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr took on a different appearance. "It looks like an extremely irrational and ill-considered decision to do this," said Christopher Davidson, a professor of Middle East politics at Durham University in Britain. "In my view, it speaks more about the local dynamics in Saudi Arabia itself that are shifting steadily away from the ruling family's control."

A picture of Saudi Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, left, is seen partly painted over by authorities on a wall in the largely Shiite western town of Malkiya, Bahrain, Monday, Jan. 4, 2016. Allies of Saudi Arabia, including the monarchy in neighboring Bahrain, began scaling down their diplomatic ties to Iran in the wake of the ransacking of Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran that followed al-Nimr's execution​

The execution sparked outrage among Shiites around the world, with protests in Iraq, Bahrain and Pakistan, and even in Saudi Arabia's tightly controlled Shiite heartland in the east. Iran's government - which presents itself as a defender of Shiites in the region - loudly condemned the killing. Attackers stormed, ransacked and burned the Saudi Embassy in Tehran, prompting Riyadh to cut off ties in response. Al-Nimr's death was a dramatic step because Saudi Arabia has rarely resorted to the death penalty in dealing with unrest among its Shiite minority, which has long complained of discrimination in the Sunni-led kingdom. A vocal opponent of the Saudi royal family, al-Nimr was seen by Shiites in the region as a political dissident, although he always contended he did not foment violence.

Shiites had warned against his execution ever since a Saudi court convicted him of sedition and other charges and sentenced him to death in 2014. He was executed among a group of 47 people convicted on terrorism charges - almost all connected to Sunni radicals and al-Qaida - painting him with the same brush as a threat to security. For the royal family, the execution signals a tough hand against any trouble from Saudi Arabia's Shiites and bolsters the kingdom's posturing as the champion for Sunni Muslims in the region against Iranian influence. Saudi Arabia's allies rallied it to its side Monday, with a number of nations following its lead in either cutting or reducing diplomatic ties with Iran. The Arab League called an emergency meeting of foreign ministers for Jan. 10 to discuss the attack on the Saudi Embassy and other Iranian "interference in Arab affairs."

MORE

and three sunni mosques in Iraq attacked by shiite

 

[IsaacNewton]

The know-nothings are getting a glimpse of why the nuclear deal with Iran is such a big deal. It will keep them from obtaining an atomic or nuclear weapon which would destabilize the entire region is ways unimaginable.

A conventional war between these two will be bad enough, consider the alternative.

Like...

Like...

Like...

No war?


The beauty and tragedy of The United States is our capability of waging war coupled with our current inability to convince a fucking soul on the planet that we really mean business this time.

Obama screwed the pooch when he let the asshole running Syria for personal profit use chemical weapons with no response. And I'm not seeing much hope in the bullpen.


The Sunnis and the Shiites need to settle this bullshit.

You ignored my point which is fine.

I ignore yours. Tada.

 

[American_Jihad]

What Do We Want in the Muslim Lands?
Is the deepening of the Iran-Saudi Arabia rift a bad or good thing for us?
January 8, 2016
Hugh Fitzgerald

The multifarious geopolitical messes in the Middle East, the almost comical variety of resentments, hostilities, mutual denouncements, and hatreds in the Muslim lands that are presented to us each day on some news channel’s platter, the confusion worse compounded that overcomes us when we look at any part or aspect of the Camp of Islam — all this beggars belief, but you’d better nonetheless believe it. You’d better believe, for example, that the Uber-Sunni Saudis, who gave rise to Al-Qaeda, who provided Al-Qaeda not just with Osama bin Laden but with a host of other members (including 11 of the 19 who went on that 9/11/2001 mission), are now dead-set on executing members of that same Al -Qaeda, and have just done so, and are also prepared to make war on the uberest-Sunnis of them all, the members of the Islamic State. And at the same time as those Saudi rulers execute, in the same galere, both those Al-Qaeda and Islamic State anti-Shi’a fanatics, they also can — and did — execute a leading Shi’a cleric in Saudi Arabia, one Nimr Al-Nimr. Those who like things kept simple, and not complicated, will be disappointed by the Muslim Middle East, where every (geopolitical) prospect teases, and only man is vile.

Let’s see what we can do to improve our chances of seeing things steadily and whole, by standing a bit back from the radio, and limning the broad outlines of Islam.

Let’s begin with the all-encompassing nature of this faith. Islam is a Total System, a Complete Regulation of Life, ...

More at link.
...

What Do We Want in the Muslim Lands?

 

[aris2chat]

What Do We Want in the Muslim Lands?
Is the deepening of the Iran-Saudi Arabia rift a bad or good thing for us?
January 8, 2016
Hugh Fitzgerald

The multifarious geopolitical messes in the Middle East, the almost comical variety of resentments, hostilities, mutual denouncements, and hatreds in the Muslim lands that are presented to us each day on some news channel’s platter, the confusion worse compounded that overcomes us when we look at any part or aspect of the Camp of Islam — all this beggars belief, but you’d better nonetheless believe it. You’d better believe, for example, that the Uber-Sunni Saudis, who gave rise to Al-Qaeda, who provided Al-Qaeda not just with Osama bin Laden but with a host of other members (including 11 of the 19 who went on that 9/11/2001 mission), are now dead-set on executing members of that same Al -Qaeda, and have just done so, and are also prepared to make war on the uberest-Sunnis of them all, the members of the Islamic State. And at the same time as those Saudi rulers execute, in the same galere, both those Al-Qaeda and Islamic State anti-Shi’a fanatics, they also can — and did — execute a leading Shi’a cleric in Saudi Arabia, one Nimr Al-Nimr. Those who like things kept simple, and not complicated, will be disappointed by the Muslim Middle East, where every (geopolitical) prospect teases, and only man is vile.

Let’s see what we can do to improve our chances of seeing things steadily and whole, by standing a bit back from the radio, and limning the broad outlines of Islam.

Let’s begin with the all-encompassing nature of this faith. Islam is a Total System, a Complete Regulation of Life,

What Do We Want in the Muslim Lands?

Baath gased kurds in 39 attacks