Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #Mideast

Most recents (16)

1. Why did Gulf kingdoms embrace Iran? When the #GulfArab states saw what happened in Iran over one #Kurdish woman who stood up to became the #Mideast version of Rosa Parks, they all panicked. Remember, the US lists as terrorists a group whose ideology seeks #genderequality.
2. That continued listing over an ideology we support is something @POTUS @VP and @SecBlinken need to explain. But in the interim, we are seeing the #Arab word suddenly embracing #Assad, a blood soaked chemical weapon-using, sociopathic dictator. Why?
3. Because he's the one they have tapped to eliminate the #Syrian #Kurds. And all the #misogynists cheer him as their standard bearer. And once the #SDF is gone and the #women once again relegated to second-class rights, they can get back to business
Read 5 tweets
Saudi Arabia May Be Netanyahu’s Political Lifeline nationalinterest.org/feature/saudi-… A Phenomenally Good piece in @TheNatlInterest by my pal Leon Hadar & the forces that @netanyahu is arrayed against & how his #Mideast policy may be saved by an unlikely ally: #MBS of #SaudiArabia
2/ Recognizing that President Joe Biden and his aides will not give him a green light to attack Iran’s nuclear sites, and may even try to revive the nuclear deal with Iran
3/ Netanyahu believes that the only way to change the status quo and force the Americans and the West to confront the Islamic Republic before it is too late is to form a diplomatic and military front with Saudi Arabia and its Arab-Sunni allies
Read 13 tweets
🧵On #Turkey-#Israel and talk of a #gas pipeline

After a tour in #Greece and #Cyprus, that aimed at appeasing their concerns, Israeli president was today visiting Turkey in the context of improving bilateral relations. Its the first visit by an Israeli president since 2008. >
Though allies since 1996, relations started to deteriorate as early as 2004 & took a huge blow in 2010 w the #MaviMarmara incident. Not going to get into that or the steps that followed towards normalization.
See this on #Turkey's strategy in the #EastMed in Foreign Policy: foreignpolicy.com/2021/01/19/tur…

and this book: link.springer.com/book/10.1007/9…
Read 20 tweets
There's been much speculation about an imminent #Turkey intervention in north #Syria (another one) 🧵

The rationale behind such a move would be threefold:
1. The Kurdish threat
2. Electoral tactics (which might backfire)
3. Revisionist plans-strategic leverage re #Syria's future
Can #Turkey go ahead? The short answers is "yes". The long answer is "it's complicated".

If previous interventions are any indication, two things we know: 1. TR prepares the ground diplomatically and 2. remains flexible during operations, negotiating the outcome.
A Turkish intervention would most likely mean that Ankara got the "green light" from #Russia and/or #US. A move west of Euphrates would mostly need the former; east of Euphrates, both.

In exchange, #Turkey would have to compromise as well vis-a-vis it's ideal objectives.
Read 16 tweets
1. I think this was my first use of the term "rout" noting I reported on April 14, the day we announced it, that the Taliban would attack in force. How can I be better at intel than the Pentagon and the CIA? Let's put all this off and get our people out but we have to view an
2. operational decision like this from the point of view of fighters who are on the ground in a partnered force. 45 betrayed more than Afghans and our partners are still fighting terrorists in #Syria who we don't have to fight. Every time we say what great allies the #Turks are
3. while their al-Qaeda/Daesh mercenaries are shelling #Syrian children & their air force flies US supplied F-16s to bomb a #Yazidi hospital serving victims of #Daesh genocide we become less effective & risk Daesh & al-Qaeda spreading throughout the #Mideast to
Read 4 tweets
"We welcome #India's emergence as a leading global power and its role as a net security provider in the region."

#US returns to #Obama era's tight embrace of #India. Under #Trump, US tempered tech-related Indian immigration, and twisted India's arm on unfair trade practices.
Resumption of close #US-#India ties under #Biden administration means the #Pakistan-#America relationship will undergo a readjustment. #Afghanistan will anchor ties. But long-term outlook is up in the air, again. /1

#Pakistan failed to deal with #Trump admin which came close to Pakistani position on #Afghanistan; engaged it on #Kashmir. Under PM #ImranKhan govt, Pak showed reticence in engaging the US beyond Afghan peace process. Pak analysts routinely framed #CPEC as part of anti-#US bloc/2
Read 7 tweets
#THREAD #RANT on #Turkey foreign policy

Another article (not surprisingly on Al Jazeera) trying to convince us that #Ankara is the victim and Turkish foreign policy is on the defence. The approach is superficial at best and ignores a number of facts >>

aljazeera.com/indepth/opinio…
That Turkey unofficially abandoned regime change in #Syria is not the point: same author, in 2013 Hinnebusch & Tur book wrote "Turkey saw an opportunity to bring abt regime change in Damascus at Iran's expense...it was a matter of geopolitical competition between Ankara & Tehran"
Regime change was an unprecedented policy for Ankara to adopt & a revisionist one; by the author's admission, for the purpose of regional power. 4 interventions later it's inaccurate to say that "Turkey's ability to influence the course of the conflict was reduced to a minimum"
Read 12 tweets
Breaking: Both @AlMayadeenNews & #Iraqi TV confirm the assassination of #IRGC #Quds Force commander, #Qasem_Soleimani & commander of #Iraq's #PMU (Hashd al-Shaabi), #Abu_Mahdi_al_Muhandis .
#Iraq #العراق
.2/ The consequences of assassinating #Soleimani & #Muhandis will be catastrophic for #Iraq, the region, as well #US & #Israeli interests in #Mideast.
#Iraq #العراق
.3/ The decision to assassinate both these commanders, is a clear #American message to escalate in Iraq & to draw #Iran into a military conflict.
#Iraq
#العراق
Read 47 tweets
1. I remember Nasser. As a boy I thought he was cool.

Imagine an integration of Iraq, Syria & Lebanon as members of the United States of the Levant. Oil, gas, hydro and fresh water with motivated educated populations. None of that is possible under Islamist extremism.
2. Absent an integration, the great powers will forever use this region to compete. Clearly an international integration is a dream. But the federalization of the independent states, particularly Iraq & Syria, would result in a decentralized political system that is
3. self-defending. These nations will not survive outside of a secular society. They will continue to erupt on a regular predictable basis.

I have not seen any study on it so I will comment from my own observation based on mostly anecdotal evidence. Regions of Syria that
Read 7 tweets
19. United States decided to label #IRGC terrorists. But who are the real terrorists? Who created, trained, armed & financed the worst terrorist groups in the world?

#Hypocrites #DoubleStandards #Liars #Warlords #USRealTerrorists
Wrong US policies in the Middle East. Sanctions against Iran. Sanctions used by the USA as a war weapon🤨👇🏼
1. United States decided to label #IRGC terrorists. But who are the real terrorists? Who created, trained, armed & financed the worst terrorist groups in the world?🤨👇🏼
threadreaderapp.com/thread/1116293…
Read 165 tweets
15. United States decided to label #IRGC terrorists. But who are the real terrorists? Who created, trained, armed & financed the worst terrorist groups in the world?

#Hypocrites #DoubleStandards #Liars #Warlords #USRealTerrorists
Wrong US policies in the Middle East. Sanctions against Iran. Sanctions used by the USA as a war weapon🤨👇🏼
1. United States decided to label #IRGC terrorists. But who are the real terrorists? Who created, trained, armed & financed the worst terrorist groups in the world? 🤨👇🏼
threadreaderapp.com/thread/1116293…
Read 104 tweets
9. United States decided to label #IRGC terrorists. But who are the real terrorists? Who created, trained, armed & financed the worst terrorist groups in the world?

#Hypocrites #DoubleStandards #Liars #Warlords #USRealTerrorists
Wrong US policies in the Middle East. Sanctions against Iran. Sanctions used by the USA as a war weapon🤨👇🏼
1. United States decided to label #IRGC terrorists. But who are the real terrorists? Who created, trained, armed & financed the worst terrorist groups in the world? 🤨👇🏼
threadreaderapp.com/thread/1116293…
Read 136 tweets
7. United States decided to label #IRGC terrorists. But who are the real terrorists? Who created, trained, armed & financed the worst terrorist groups in the world?

#Hypocrites #DoubleStandards #Liars #Warlords #USRealTerrorists
1. United States decided to label #IRGC terrorists. But who are the real terrorists? Who created, trained, armed & financed the worst terrorist groups in the world?
🤨👇🏼
threadreaderapp.com/thread/1116293…
2. United States decided to label #IRGC terrorists. But who are the real terrorists? Who created, trained, armed & financed the worst terrorist groups in the world?
🤨👇🏼
threadreaderapp.com/thread/1121015…
Read 108 tweets
5. United States decided to label #IRGC terrorists. But who are the real terrorists? Who created, trained, armed & financed the worst terrorist groups in the world?

#Hypocrites #DoubleStandards #Liars #Warlords #USRealTerrorists
1. United States decided to label #IRGC terrorists. But who are the real terrorists? Who created, trained, armed & financed the worst terrorist groups in the world?
🤨👇🏼
threadreaderapp.com/thread/1116293…
2. United States decided to label #IRGC terrorists. But who are the real terrorists? Who created, trained, armed & financed the worst terrorist groups in the world?
🤨👇🏼
threadreaderapp.com/thread/1121015…
Read 78 tweets
Russian directive 4 #EU: dismantle, separate UK, the weaken Germany while increasing presence from West 2 East #US directive: dismantle NATO, weaken US relationships around globe & especially with Canada while strategizing 2 move north 2 retake Alaska & northern Canada
Trump has been so enamored w/ the power of Putin he doesn’t realize this trade war with China is exactly what Putin wanted. In 2016 US made deal with China 2B their #1 provider of #NaturalGas & #Oil but now with tariffs & trade war all that surplus will be devoured by tariffs
Did he really think Putin would B ok with the U.S. backdooring him? No! While we’re busy with #CivilUnrest Putin will manipulate the #MidEast & #EU & then when he’s got it all in place & we think they’re our BFF’s they’re going 2 turn on an isolated America 1st & all alone
Read 4 tweets

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