Yesterday, Donald Trump pretty much announced the start of World War III, and put us on the side of the Saudis.
While most American networks, if not all, were focused on the banal speech that Trump read, few, if any, paid any attention to what King Salman said introducing Trump. That’s too bad, because that was where the real news was.
Once we got past the b’ismallahs and the banalities, Salman wasted no time getting down to business.
He and Trump were united in their desire to fight terrorism. And who are the ‘terrorists’? Salman got right to the point:
The Iranian regime spearheads the global terrorism since Khomeini revolution until today. Since 300 years ago, we, in this country, did not witness terrorism or extremism until Khomeini revolution emerged in 1979.
That’s right. The source of world terrorism is... Iran.
This may be news to those who, like Trump, thought they were going to defeat ISIS, which happens to be Sunni (like Saudi Arabia) based, or Al Qaeda, also Sunni. But that is a detail that probably went over Donald Trump’s head. He would not know a Sunni from a Sunny Day. But Salman does. Salman just roped Donald Trump, and the United States, into taking their side in the ‘Holy War Against Shia’ ― something that has been going on for, oh, 1500 years or so.
Just in case you didn’t get it, Salman was quite clear:
Iran has rejected initiatives of good neighborhood provided by our countries based on good faith. Iran replaced these initiatives with expansionist ambitions, criminal practices, interferences in the internal affairs of other countries, flagrant violations of the international law, and violations of the principles of good-neighborliness, coexistence and mutual respect.
And what are we going to do about it?
Well, we just formed the Global Center for Eradicating Terror. That, by the way, is the caption that accompanies the photo (see above) that was released by the Saudi Embassy this morning.
@KingSalman and @POTUS inaugurate The Global Center for Combatting Extremist Ideology in Riyadh. #RiyadhSummit
That’s right. The president of the United States and the King of Saudi Arabia inaugurate the new center for combatting extremist ideology. And where is the root of that extremist ideology? Why, in Iran, of course.
Was Trump on board with this? He could not have made it any clearer:
Here at this summit we will discuss many interests we share together. But above all we must be united in pursuing the one goal that transcends every other consideration. That goal is to meet history’s great test—to conquer extremism and vanquish the forces of terrorism.
So the United States and Saudi Arabia are united to pursue one goal that transcends all other considerations ― conquering extremism and vanquishing the forces of terrorism, in other words, Iran and the Shia.
Now, most likely, Donald Trump did not really know what he was signing up for. To him, this was just a trip to some Arab country to sell them a LOT of arms. And what are they going to use all those American arms for? Do I have to tell you now?
Trump, in his sheer stupidity, has placed American clearly on the side of the Saudis and Sunni Muslims as they gear up for the biggest battle between Sunni and Shia since the Battle of Karbala (October 10, 680 CE), in which the Sunni defeated the Shia ― something neither of them have ever gotten over.
Of course, by abandoning a balanced approach to the Sunni/Shia (Iran v. Saudi Arabia) conflict, and clearly siding with the Saudis, we have pretty much turned Iran (and the rest of the Shia world) over the Russians, who have done such a stellar job in Syria. But for them, that’s just the beginning. So many more world’s to conquer now.
Back to King Salman:
The Iranian regime erroneously thought that our silence a sign of weakness and our wisdom a retreat. Later on, we had enough of its hostile practices and interventions, as we have seen in Yemen and other countries in the region.
Not anymore. Not that the Saudis have the U.S. military industrial complex on their side (and no doubt, quite soon, the U.S. military on the ground as well).
Well, like tourists at the carpet bazaar, we have been suckered into buying something we never really wanted or needed ― a major conflict between Islam’s two rivals ― Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran.
And just so you know what your children will be dying for, the root of their never ending conflict is over whether Sunnis believe that Abu Bakr was the rightful Caliph following the death of Muhammad, while Shia believe that Ali ibn Ali Talib, Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law was the rightful Caliph.
Good to know that Donald Trump clearly put us on the side of right.
