Muqtada and Democrats, Al Qaeda Waxing, Bahrain Waning
Arab media report that Sadrists ministers will withdraw, for now, from the Iraqi cabinet, in protest over the refusal of the Prime Minister al-Maliki to support a timetable for withdrawal of U. S forces from Iraq. Muqtada al-Sadr himself publicly condemned al-Maliki’s refusal. It is not clear if Muqtada prefers the Murtha plan (isn’t that also the Pelosi plan?), the Hillary plan (whatever it is), or the Kucinich plan (I assume there is one). Still, he can’t hate the Republican plan (isn’t that the one about creative chaos?) all that much: it has brought him so close to being the king-maker.
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Rivalry is intensifying among various factions for the hearts and minds of Iraq’s Sunni Arab minority. One thing is certain: the Americans and the ruling Shi’a-Kurdish coalition are not in contention- they will never win the Sunnis’ hearts and minds. The battle is among Ba’athists, moderate Islamists, more extremist Islamists, and al-Qaeda. Underlying all this are strong tribal forces among the Sunni tribes of Western Iraq. It is not clear who will emerge on top, perhaps no one; most likely some kind of a coalition of all of the above.
Meanwhile, the car bombings are becoming more selective, aiming for more strategic and more sensitive targets. Like the Parliament building (and how did they get deep inside? Who let them in??). And an important bridge that kept parts of Baghdad joined.
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Looks like North Africa is the newest battleground for al-Qaeda and her Salafi allies. Bombings in Algeria and Morocco have intensified in recent weeks. Algerians are known as a drab and harsh people, but easy-going Moroccans are getting into the act now. Algeria went through some years of a violent and particularly gruesome civil war after the ruling military-FLN regime annulled the results of elections the Islamists won, and canceled planned elections, in the early 1990s.
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Some Arab media report that the former FBI agent who disappeared in Iran several weeks ago is being held by Iranian authorities. The reports claim that this is part of a series of planned reprisals for Iranian operatives being snatched in Iraq and Europe. Perhaps it is a good idea to heed State Department travel advisories and warnings, just these days.
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Saudi media report that a high Saudi security official, with the rank of General, no less, was found killed in a ‘gruesome way’. The media compared the method of his killing to that of American hostage Paul Johnson, who was butchered by al-Qaeda operatives in Saudi Arabia in 2004. This would be the first time that the Saudi al Qaeda has resorted to these methods against a Saudi citizen.....but then he is a 'General'.
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Saudi King Abdullah announced that henceforth he will not tolerate injustice and oppression. He also railed against sectarian divisions in his country and across the Arab World. All admirable thoughts, but there was no mention of corruption. Dommage.
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In Bahrain, thousands demonstrated last week against what they claimed is a government policy to change the country’s demographics, by illegally naturalizing outsiders, presumably Sunnis, from Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Bahrain’s population is estimated to be about 75% Shi’as. This has become a point of contention in recent months, although the government has denied the story, which probably means that there is some truth in it. Already, Bahrain has a strong Salafi movement (soul mates of al Qaeda), something unheard of in the past. So far, the Salafis have concentrated on their Shi’a rivals, whom they consider the ‘main enemy’ and target………for now.
Bahrain, once the 'Havana' of the Persian Gulf, has recently imposed restrictions on public entertainment, pushing more hotels and businesses to move to Dubai. It is moving now much closer to Kuwait in terms of restrictions on public entertainment and 'fun', and fast closing in on world record-holder Riyadh, where there really is 'no there'....there.
Cheers
Mohammed