That is all I’ll be able to do with Biden and HRC at the helm of America’s foreign policy.
Hope for the best and expect the worst.
Keep an eye on Bahrain. Over the last month, Iranian rhetoric against the continued independence of the tiny Arab island nation has really picked up, with repeated declarations that Bahrain isn’t independent, but really just a province of Iran. (Historically, Bahrain was part of Iran until the Portuguese separated it in 1522; it later became a British protectorate and a 1970 plebiscite confirmed the Bahraini desire to be independent). Iranian authorities have recently suggested seating Bahraini representatives in the Iranian parliament, categorizing Ahmadinejad’s trips to the island nation as provincial trips, and broadcast interviews with Bahraini Shi’a predicting revolution within a year. Yesterday, Bahrain stopped allowing Iranians to travel to the island, and announced they were cutting off oil imports from Iran.
Of course, much of this may be simple rhetoric, but then again, so was Saddam Hussein’s Kuwait-is-our-19th province rhetoric until he made good on his threats.
Bahrain is more complicated because of the U.S. navy’s presence on the island.
Click on your favorite web based map program/site. Inspect Bahrain’s locale in relation to Iran.
Laugh.
Then start hoping.
Look for them to ‘regain” “their” island and then sit back and wait to see what The O does. If nothing watch some cities in the near east and then the US to “light up” at some point in the early to near future. Hope I am wrong but God it looks like that is the prognoses..
My old roommate Niru lives in Bharain. Bahrain is tucked-in next to Qatar, and completely ACROSS the Persian Gulf and away from Iran.
It and Dubai are part of the Arab Emirates, pretty independent little fiefdomes – and fabulously rich and not to be trifeled with. Floating on oil they’ve been doing their own little Spendulus Plan – mainly in some freaking incredible real-estate developments – and irking the Islamofascists by letting their women out – a bit.
They’re seriously stepping on some big toes (including big Euro money) if they mess with the Dubai Desert Classic world golf championships that are played there… And that luxury high-rise building is not a Photoshop fake.
Also, The Emirates are the closest thing the Arabs have to Vegas, and Ahmadinijad is probably taking a lubricated donkey-dick us his ass in their version of sin-city under cover of “provincial trips” – in other words, a whore-junket.
That luxury high-rise is just outside Dubai, not in Bahrain however.
I’ve been there when we made port in Dubai in 2000.
There was an absolutely incredible water park just across the highway from that hotel, mostly filled with British and Scandanavian tourists (and most of them scantily clad).
There were a number of Emirates folks about but the women mostly just went ankle deep in the water while wearing full robes… the guys got to wear swim suits and enjoy all the rides. Kinda seemed unfair to me.
Just to keep everybody honest, Bahrain is NOT part of the Emirates. Separate country. It does have fairly close ties with the Emirates as do both Qa’tar and Oman also, but they are all separate, independent countries. Kind of like saying that that north Florida is part of Georgia. It was at one time but hasn’t been for a long time.
I appreciate that correction!