Tag Archives: middle east tensions

He was Brought Down by Lying about having WMD

Saddam Hussein (April 28, 1937 – December 30, 2006) They called him the “Butcher of Baghdad”. He held total control over Iraqi lives for almost 25 years. He styled himself after Joseph Stalin, hence the mustache as his signature image. … Continue reading

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(As Always) Politics Makes…

Strange Bedfellows (first attributed to Charles Dudley Warner) Joe Biden’s visit to the Middle East this week is a reminder of how strange some political maneuvering really is: first Israel, then Palestine, and finally Saudi Arabia. What!? In the same … Continue reading

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Yesterday in History VIII

Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty (March 26, 1979) On this day in 1979: Anwar Sadat, Menachem Begin, and Jimmy Carter sign the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty in Washington, D.C. And a ‘cold peace’ broke out between those two nations. The timing is randomized. … Continue reading

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The Double Irony of an Agent Mossad called “Angel”

Ashraf Marwan (February 4, 1944 – June 27, 2007) I watched this film on Netflix last night. Other than the fact that almost half of it was subtitled, it proved fascinating viewing. The point-of-view taken by the producers was that … Continue reading

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Carving Up the Middle-East in 1916

The Sykes-Picot Memorandum I watched Lawrence of Arabia all the way through yesterday, for the first time in years. The Sykes-Picot Agreement was referenced in the movie. That got me to thinking: would it be possible to create the chart … Continue reading

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Why Does This Happen in One Place and Not Another?

Beirut Blast (August 4th, 2020 @ 6:07 pm local time) All through this year, we are being subjected to a combination of planets that would be best illustrated by this blast in Beirut, last Tuesday evening. But I cannot see … Continue reading

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Saudi Arabia: Same as It Ever Was?

We watched this gem of a film on Netflix last night. I knew from the opening sequence (above) that it would be amusing, to say the least. The culture clash between America and Saudi Arabia is quite extreme and Tom … Continue reading

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The “Least Successful” British Prime Minister in History

Anthony Eden (Jun 12, 1897 – Jan 14, 1977) The title might seem a little cruel but Eden stood on the threshold of a new world situation, but decided to use World War II tactics to defeat his enemy, Nasser, … Continue reading

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A Recipe for Disaster?

Cheese Curd Turkey Sausage Burger Donald Trump has served the world a ‘new’ version of a Middle East classic… A few Kurds on the side of a Turkey sausage meal, heated on a Syrian frypan. It’ll leave a bad taste … Continue reading

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