SherriMunnerlyn
VIP Member
- Jun 11, 2012
- 12,201
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WEEKLY COMMENTS: CONFLICTS FORUM
"On 12*September 2013, Prince Turki of Saudi Arabia addressed the*Defence and Security Forum*in London.* Prince Turki is known for his cool-headed analysis, and though regarded as attached to a particular affiliation in Saudi Arabia, he is an experienced diplomat. What he said in gist is this:* Saudi Arabia both is the dominant economic power in the Middle East, and is too the eminent leader of the wider Muslim world, whereas Iran, stands, he said, by contrast stands as the leader of all those Muslims that are against the US. Beyond this troublesome mode of Iranian leadership, Prince Turki said that Saudi Arabia has two further major gripes with Iran: firstly, its nuclear weapons program, which is continuing he said, and which sanctions will not halt; and which ultimately Prince Turki said, must be dealt by military means, if necessary; and (secondly), Iranian meddling:* its meddling in Shii majority countries and in Shii minority states must end, Prince Turki warned, saying that Saudi Arabia would itself intervene in those states to oppose any and all Iranian actions.*Iranian influence and actions in Iraq were unacceptable, he said:* Saudi Arabia has deep-seated reservations about the government of Maliki, he warned, and will do everything in its power to halt actions (such as that recently undertaken by an Iranian general), or by Iran generally, to support Maliki: We will work to ensure Iraq becomes an*independent*member of the Arab world.*"
"Yes, Saudi has money, but it totally lacks the means to be operationally effective.**It is like an army that has its chiefs-of-defence staff, the generals (the senior Royals, in other words), but lacks entirely the junior officers, the sergeants and other NCOs who actually follow-up and ensure orders turn into something tangible.**There is no Saudi system to manage the sectarian mobilization which they have fired-up, and to direct it towards some tangible political result, precisely because it is only the senior Royals that have any discretion or authority to make things happen; and their operational input lies mainly with that of signing cheques not following up on the details.*This is precisely why we have witnessed the al-Qaeda-orientated groups dominating in Syria unlike the US, the Saudi Princes do not spend time nurturing movements toward effectiveness;* they buy movements.* And it is the Takfiri groups that have proved most effective on the battlefield, and therefore it is these who have found ample sources of funding.*"
Conflicts Forum?s Weekly Comment, 13-20 Sept 2013 : Conflicts Forum
This fight for power and supremacy in the ME is spreading the influence of Al Qaeda throughout the Region.
How is the international community going to deal with this problem?
One might say or at least hope the recently enacted UN Resolution on Syria is a start.
It even calls for talks between the Regime and Opposition in Syria to resolve their differences.
But where do we go from here?
And what about the funding and arming of Al Qaeda/ Tafkiri groups and their spreading influence across the Region?
"On 12*September 2013, Prince Turki of Saudi Arabia addressed the*Defence and Security Forum*in London.* Prince Turki is known for his cool-headed analysis, and though regarded as attached to a particular affiliation in Saudi Arabia, he is an experienced diplomat. What he said in gist is this:* Saudi Arabia both is the dominant economic power in the Middle East, and is too the eminent leader of the wider Muslim world, whereas Iran, stands, he said, by contrast stands as the leader of all those Muslims that are against the US. Beyond this troublesome mode of Iranian leadership, Prince Turki said that Saudi Arabia has two further major gripes with Iran: firstly, its nuclear weapons program, which is continuing he said, and which sanctions will not halt; and which ultimately Prince Turki said, must be dealt by military means, if necessary; and (secondly), Iranian meddling:* its meddling in Shii majority countries and in Shii minority states must end, Prince Turki warned, saying that Saudi Arabia would itself intervene in those states to oppose any and all Iranian actions.*Iranian influence and actions in Iraq were unacceptable, he said:* Saudi Arabia has deep-seated reservations about the government of Maliki, he warned, and will do everything in its power to halt actions (such as that recently undertaken by an Iranian general), or by Iran generally, to support Maliki: We will work to ensure Iraq becomes an*independent*member of the Arab world.*"
"Yes, Saudi has money, but it totally lacks the means to be operationally effective.**It is like an army that has its chiefs-of-defence staff, the generals (the senior Royals, in other words), but lacks entirely the junior officers, the sergeants and other NCOs who actually follow-up and ensure orders turn into something tangible.**There is no Saudi system to manage the sectarian mobilization which they have fired-up, and to direct it towards some tangible political result, precisely because it is only the senior Royals that have any discretion or authority to make things happen; and their operational input lies mainly with that of signing cheques not following up on the details.*This is precisely why we have witnessed the al-Qaeda-orientated groups dominating in Syria unlike the US, the Saudi Princes do not spend time nurturing movements toward effectiveness;* they buy movements.* And it is the Takfiri groups that have proved most effective on the battlefield, and therefore it is these who have found ample sources of funding.*"
Conflicts Forum?s Weekly Comment, 13-20 Sept 2013 : Conflicts Forum
This fight for power and supremacy in the ME is spreading the influence of Al Qaeda throughout the Region.
How is the international community going to deal with this problem?
One might say or at least hope the recently enacted UN Resolution on Syria is a start.
It even calls for talks between the Regime and Opposition in Syria to resolve their differences.
But where do we go from here?
And what about the funding and arming of Al Qaeda/ Tafkiri groups and their spreading influence across the Region?
