Cyprus-Forum.com

[DT.]

The west are criminals or the fundamentalists are criminals? Since you all know what happened in this region the past 50 years, why are you still debating this subject?

The Taliban were placed in power by the Americans to create a buffer against the SOviet Union from annexing any satellite states in the Gulf. The Ayatollah was carried from France were he was a harmless fanatic because some clever clogs in the pentagon decided that this new Islamist Fundamentalist crowd hates the Soviets more than the Americans, and since the Americans were happy with Saudi and Iraq producing the surplus they required it was OK. The Shah of Iran was given the heave-ho (by the States) and the Ayatollah was put in power.

Fast forward to today when the Americans have offered the Iranians their very own Nuclear weapon as long as its manufactured in the US and not in Iran. The Iranians want it manufactured in Iran under international scrutiny.

Saddam who had also replaced the previous American darling (again the Americans has done the replacing) was caught up in a useless fight with Kuwait.

Kuwait was funding Iraq during the Iraq-Iran war by pumping petroleum. One of the sites used to pump this petroleum was on the border with Iraq. When Kuwait requested the 60bn loan to be paid up Saddam requested they minus the amount of petroleum they drew from the border well, since this was tapping into an Iraqi supply.

The Kuwaitis refused and Saddam said those famous words after the Kuwaiti Prince said "we are not your cow to keep milking us"

Saddam: " Now I want the milk and the cow" and so the Iraqi tanks rolled in.

This was the final straw for the Americans having already grown weary of him with his constant oil donations to countries the Americans never approved of.

Today with all the oil situated in the north and south of Iraq and with nothing in the middle the US will most probably soon offer a Federal solution to Iraq. (obviously the Kurds will have the north).

So, Bin Laden, the taliban, the ayatollahs and Saddam were placed into power by the US in order to provide enough buffer between the SOviet and the Gulf. Since the end of the cold war one by one of these useless characters that have outlived their purpose have been on the way out.

The taliban is gone, Bin Laden is the enemy and all but gone, Saddam is gone...who's left?

[Paphitis]

The taliban is gone, Bin Laden is the enemy and all but gone, Saddam is gone...who's left?

I would love to say Turkey.

Well Israel is pissed off anyway, so that's a start!

[DT.]

The taliban is gone, Bin Laden is the enemy and all but gone, Saddam is gone...who's left?

I would love to say Turkey.

Well Israel is pissed off anyway, so that's a start!

Well methinks the Ayatollahs will go next. Turkey will need to find a new niche in the area.

[Tim Drayton]

There is the cherished American project of having a "moderate Islamic" regime in Turkey.

[DT.]

There is the cherished American project of having a "moderate Islamic" regime in Turkey.

Only if you consider fundmental islam an enemy of the US. I don't think the US has upgraded them to Soviet cold war levels. not near enough the regional danger communism was with the acquisition of satellite states.

[Get Real!]

Err, come again DT?

[Paphitis]

There is the cherished American project of having a "moderate Islamic" regime in Turkey.

Only if you consider fundmental islam an enemy of the US. I don't think the US has upgraded them to Soviet cold war levels. not near enough the regional danger communism was with the acquisition of satellite states.

I don't think so either, which explains the defense cuts which would not have occurred during the cold war!

[DT.]

Err, come again DT?

Paphitis got it....I don't think Islamic Fundamentalists are classified as a priority (or secondary) enemy of the US.

[Tim Drayton]

There is the cherished American project of having a "moderate Islamic" regime in Turkey.

Only if you consider fundmental islam an enemy of the US. I don't think the US has upgraded them to Soviet cold war levels. not near enough the regional danger communism was with the acquisition of satellite states.

No, I think this also a relic of the whole strategy of building a "green crescent" against communism. The USA was instrumental in the creation and growth of a "moderate Islamic" political party in Turkey in the 1980's and the Islamist party currently in power has its roots in this process.

[Paphitis]

Err, come again DT?

Paphitis got it....I don't think Islamic Fundamentalists are classified as a priority (or secondary) enemy of the US.

Some states are still considered an enemy. Iran is a good example, even though Obama has adopted a policy of deescalating any animosity.

I don't think there are any serious threats to the US and allies (Israel aside) as compared to the former Soviet Union which was a formidable threat.