From within a generally well constructed New York Times article the new Mid-East normal begins to surface.  The vacuum left in the wake of Obama’s policies are leading to alignments of self interest….. And as a direct consequence a nuclear arms race. 

New York Times […] Through Egypt, a major beneficiary of Saudi aid, the kingdom is backing plans for a combined Arab military force to combat Iranian influence around the region. With another major aid recipient, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia is also expected to step up its efforts to develop a nuclear bomb, potentially setting off an arms race in the region.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, left, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif of Iran, center, and the head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi, on Monday in Lausanne, Switzerland.

All this comes just a few weeks after the death of King Abdullah and the passing of the throne to a new ruler, King Salaman, who then installed his 34-year-old son Mohamed in the powerful dual roles of defense minister and chief of the royal court. (more…)

Al Nusra is a front for, and has openly aligned with, al-Qaeda in Syria – which is essentially ISIS.

It is not a secret that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan has tried to deliver the maximum benefit to ISIS (in Northern Syria) in direct opposition to the Kurds who are trying to formulate their own independent nation of Kurdistan. Erdogan views Kurdistan as a proxy for Irans’ growing sphere of influence.

Erdogan opposes Iran for many ideological reasons, but arguably most of all because he sees Iran’s growing influence as a threat to his own political ambitions to lead a new Ottoman Empire.

In my opinion Erdogan views his envisioned construct as most possible with a constituency of: ISIS, The Muslim Brotherhood, Al Nusra (al-Qaeda) and various other segments of Sunni Islam including the Palestinian Authority, vis-à-vis Hamas. Erdogan, like Obama, has more grand aspirations than his own territory – all of his prior behavior aligns with this perspective.

So it comes as no surprise to see Turkey’s Erdogan take the opportunity provided by the distractions of both Yemen and Iraq, to act against one of Iran’s benefactors in Syria, namely Assad. (more…)

It is interesting, and not incidental, to see CNNi (CNN International) lead the shift in leftist talking points about Egyptian President Fattah el-Sisi by focusing on their collectivist opinion that el-Sisi is “a hardliner”.

However, actions -what CNN would like to avoid- of Sisi speak louder than the CNN words. Sisi has shown over the past two years his willingness to insure minority protections within Egypt yet he has simultaneously taken a zero tolerance position toward Islamic extremism.

The Muslim Brotherhood, as a political construct, is the extremist bane of all mid-East moderates. The Muslim Brotherhood is essentially the larger construct within ISIS; and yet the Muslim Brotherhood is discussed on leftist news media as if they are not a terrorist entity.

Because of the frequency and scope of this specific media narrative it simply cannot be coincidental; someone is driving this false narrative.

CAIRO (AP) – Arab League member nations formally announced on Sunday an agreement to form a joint military force. While details of how such a force would actually operate remain thin, the agreement is a telling sign of a new determination among Saudi Arabia, Egypt and their allies to intervene aggressively in regional hotspots, whether against Islamic militants or Iran-backed groups.

(more…)

On Sunday, Secretary of State John Kerry announced he’d be extending his stay in Switzerland to continue talks with Iran and the foreign ministers of five other countries. The parties involved in the talks haven’t revealed many details about how close they are to a deal.

“As you know we have never been so close to a deal,” European Commission Vice President Federica Mogherini said.

[…] Add increased instability the conflict in Yemen has brought to the region and the fact that the U.S. is helping in strikes against Iranian-backed rebels there, and progress in the talks suddenly seems more important. (more)

Meanwhile – President Barack Obama kicked off the spring season on Saturday with a weekend golf getaway in Florida, teeing off with former NBA star Alonzo Mourning and former sportscaster Ahmad Rashad.

During his stay at the Floridian National Golf Club, less than 50 miles up the coast from Palm Beach, Obama planned to be out of public view, with no official events scheduled. After arriving midday Saturday, he immediately hit the links with Mourning, Rashad and Cyrus Walker, a cousin of Obama’s senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, the White House said. (more…)

Brave guy. The entire leftist world will be out to assassinate him.

An aide working for the Nuclear Negotiation team has defected in Switzerland. The aide immediately tells the authorities about his direct knowledge that Secretary Kerry and the U.S. Negotiation team are actually working to assist Iran. I’ll bet you a donut this was the substance of the courier letter from Rouhani to Obama yesterday.

WH says Pres Obama has received contents of letter from Iran Pres Rouhani., but WH choosing not to disclose contents or response.

— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) March 27, 2015

(Via UK Telegraph) A close media aide to Hassan Rouhani, the Iranian president, has sought political asylum in Switzerland after travelling to Lausanne to cover the nuclear talks between Tehran and the West.

Amir Hossein Motaghi, who managed public relations for Mr Rouhani during his 2013 election campaign, was said by Iranian news agencies to have quit his job at the Iran Student Correspondents Association (ISCA)

(more…)

Following on the heels of verified reporting the nuclear agreement will not be put in writing.

WH says Pres Obama has received contents of letter from Iran Pres Rouhani., but WH choosing not to disclose contents or response.

— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) March 27, 2015

Am told the Rouhani letter to Pres Obama was written in Farsi with an accompanying English translation from Iran.

— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) March 27, 2015

“INCOMPREHENSIVELY BAD” – As Iran hailed “massive progress” toward a deal on its nuclear program, an Israeli official described the terms of the looming agreement as “incomprehensibly” bad and rejected the Obama administration’s contention that it would keep the regime a year away from accumulating enough fissile material for a bomb. (more…)

Several media sources have stated over the past two weeks that France is not happy with the rushed acquiescence inherent within a dangerous nuclear deal with Iran.

Last week, citing her own first-hand (eye-witness) information – CBS’s State Dept. Correspondent, Margaret Brennan, who is traveling with the negotiation team, stated the French contingent was highly concerned about how Secretary Kerry seemed to be rushing for a deal regardless of consequence.

It might seem odd at first to see France being the least favorable to a nuclear deal with Iran, but it’s really not surprising considering how France is positioned politically and militarily.

Current French President Francios Hollande, a self-described socialist, is at his weakest point since election with conservative electoral sentiment surging in France. French nationalists are benefactors from the reality of failed multi-culturalism – especially as it pertains to Islamists who refuse to assimilate and/or accept traditional cultures of France.

It was specifically because the Obama administration predicted French reluctance to engage in diminished nationalist sentiment the Clinton led U.S. State Department launched “The Rivkin Project” in 2010. (more…)

Click image to enlarge

(Al Arabia )Fighter jets of Saudi-led coalition forces pounded a Republican Guard camp in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa as Operation “Decisive Storm” continues for the second day targeting Houthi strongholds and their camps on Friday, Al Arabiya News Channel reported.

The offensive comes after powerful explosions rocked Sanaa Thursday night as the coalition forces carried out air strikes against the Shiite rebels who control Sanaa.

Witnesses said an air raid by the coalition forces targeted both Houthi members and supporters of the former President Ali Abdullah Saleh in Al-Istiqbal military camp west of the capital. (more…)

If the name “Fordo” rings a bell it might be because you remember CIA Director John Brennan being questioned about it last Sunday.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The United States is considering letting Tehran run hundreds of centrifuges at a once-secret, fortified underground bunker in exchange for limits on centrifuge work and research and development at other sites, officials have told The Associated Press.

The trade-off would allow Iran to run several hundred of the devices at its Fordo facility, although the Iranians would not be allowed to do work that could lead to an atomic bomb and the site would be subject to international inspections, according to Western officials familiar with details of negotiations now underway. In return, Iran would be required to scale back the number of centrifuges it runs at its Natanz facility and accept other restrictions on nuclear-related work. (more…)

We noted yesterday how General David Petraeus recently warned the Iranian Militias were a greater threat than the Sunni ISIS fighters they oppose. Fighting to aid the Shiite Militia is -for all intents and purposes- direct aid to agenda of Iran. FUBAR.

BREAKING: US airstrikes underway in stalled Iraqi battle to retake Tikrit from Islamic State group.

— The Associated Press (@AP) March 25, 2015

Meanwhile the Kurdish people who could really benefit from our efforts, and who pose no threat to U.S. interests, are left without support and/or weapons to fight.

(Via Long War Journal) The US-led military Coalition in Iraq is openly supporting Iranian-backed Shiite militias and Iraqi forces who are battling Islamic State fighters entrenched in Tikrit. Many of the Shiite militia commanders are listed by the US as Specially Designated Global Terrorists, and one militia is listed as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Many of the commanders and militias are responsible for killing US, Coailition, and Iraqi troops and civilians during the occupation of Iraq.

Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) announced today that “operations to support Iraqi Security Forces in Tikrit have commenced after a request from the Iraqi Prime Minister, Haider al Abadi,” in a press released issued by the US-led command. (more…)