The Middle Eastern "Crescent" from Tehran to Beirut

[odannyboy]

Chris Matthews discussing this today (and dont for a second think that this guy is part of the "liberal media" myth, this guy has praised Bush since long before OIF. It just seems that he can finally see things with the blinders off.

Matthews: War in Iraq United ‘the Disparate Pieces of Shia Radicalism into a Frankenstein Monster’

Chris Matthews, at the conclusion of his Sunday morning talk show explored the impact of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Matthews said that Iraq used to be “a country which has fought revolutionary Iran for eight years to a bloody stand still.” Now, it’s a “Shia dominated ally of Iran.” Matthews concluded: “Our brave soldiers have fought, died and been dismembered in Iraq only to connect the disparate pieces of Shia radicalism into a frankenstein monster that has come to life right there on our TV screens.” Watch it:


Transcript:

MATTHEWS: Two years ago, King Abdullah of Jordan warned me of what was coming in the mideast. His prediction was dead. He spoke of his fears and what the United States was doing in iraq, toppling one government, electing another, was creating what he called a shi’ia crescent, from Tehran through Baghdad to Beirut that threatened to dominate the Arab world, challenging modern Sunni governments in Egypt and Saudi Arabia and others with an axis of Shia power based in Iran.

When I look at the map today, that Shia crescent the King foretold has come to light. It is hard for us westerners to understand the internal politics of another region when we can’t predict whether the Democrats will take congress from the Republicans three months from now, how could we see the Shi’ia grabbing the high ground from the Sunni in the mideast three years ago? That’s what happened. We converted Iraq from a country which has fought revolutionary Iran for eight years to a bloody stand still to a Shia dominated ally of Iran and created a boulevard of common religion and common regional politics.

Did you hear the new Iraqi leader take sides with Hezbollah in a struggle with Israel? This is the emerging threat, not just to the moderate Sunni countries including Egypt and Jordan who formed and honored treaties to Israel and us. Our brave soldiers have fought, died and been dismembered in Iraq only to connect the disparate pieces of Shi’ia radicalism into a frankenstein monster that has come to life right there on our TV screens and worse yet in the vicarious mideast where young arabs found a hero named Hezbollah.

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/07/30/...-frankenstein/

[KBay84]

A rational question for you, or anyone listening/reading;
If the Democrats win this November, what does that spell for the residents of Iraq?

Total pullout with zero follow-on support? Like we'd never been there, but to leave the populace to the bloody insurgency that hates democracy? What then?

What is the Great Plan of the Democrats? What can you do that will make the lives of the Iraqis better? Cut and run? Fugeddaboutitism?

I think alot of us in here would really like to know.

Don't start off by spewing what you think is wrong with the Bush cabinet, just TELL US what your party will do to benifit the people of Iraq.

We are waiting........

[odannyboy]

Originally Posted by KBay84

A rational question for you, or anyone listening/reading;
If the Democrats win this November, what does that spell for the residents of Iraq?

Total pullout with zero follow-on support? Like we'd never been there, but to leave the populace to the bloody insurgency that hates democracy? What then?

What is the Great Plan of the Democrats? What can you do that will make the lives of the Iraqis better? Cut and run? Fugeddaboutitism?

I think alot of us in here would really like to know.

Don't start off by spewing what you think is wrong with the Bush cabinet, just TELL US what your party will do to benifit the people of Iraq.

We are waiting........

No easy answers. Gonna take perhaps more than one approach. It's clear the existing one is this: We have alot of blood and money invested in Iraq and that is why we are there. The terrorism angle, while true, has been hyped (like all threats) to gain maximum support with the country.
The existing one is not working well. Iraq is not working well. When we completely removed their system, our replacement has been dreadful in terms of efficiency. The entire country borders on anarchy.

We have strengthened the hand of Iran with the invasion. That much is becoming clear. Remember, Saddam provided a buffer that this administration wanted removed. So they removed him. And many Americans, and Democrats, are still trying to figure out why, much less figuring out how to clean up the mess that has been made.

[SherryGrace]

So what was your plan? I missed it.

[odannyboy]

Originally Posted by SherryGrace

So what was your plan? I missed it.

Cut and Run.

[SherryGrace]

Good plan.

<cough>

[KBay84]

Cut and run.


I was really and truely looking forward to an intellectual intercourse with you on this subject.

It seems that according to you, your party is founded upon cowardism.

Now, I know many Democrats that would frown upon that line of attack, some of them being my close relatives. They are Democrats/liberals, BUT, they do not think that dumping the Iraqis is a clearly humanitary way to go. America has pledged to fight for Iraqi freedom....what WILL the Democrats do?

Cut and run is the line of cowards. I think your reply was off the cuff and not a realistic reply. Don't try and bait me, I'm much too smart for that, and so are the rest of us.

Gunny out.

Next time, real answers from you.......