Saudi Arabia’s warning to Syria and Iran

According to AP, the Saudi king last month urged Iran and Syria to cooperate with the international community or bear the consequences.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- Saudi Arabia has told Iran not to count on the kingdom's help if the international community imposes harsher measures on Tehran because of its refusal to abide by international requirements on the nuclear issue.

At a meeting in Riyadh last month, King Abdullah told visiting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that Iran will have to "bear the consequences" of its actions, and should not underestimate the power, capabilities or will of the United States and the rest of the international community, according to a Saudi official.

"We told him, 'Don't come back to us and say you wish somebody had told you that,'" the official said. "Don't come back and ask for help."

The king was equally blunt with Syrian President Bashar Assad, whom he met in Riyadh on the sidelines of the Arab summit last month. Abdullah told Assad that if he wants to improve relations with Saudi Arabia -- which are at an all-time low -- he first has to prove his good intentions in Lebanon, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issues.

More on the king’s message to Bashar Assad here.

We now know the Iranian-Syrian response to the Saudi diplomacy of past months: kidnapping of British sailors, more uranium enrichment, and Nasrallah openly rejecting the Hariri tribunal and assuming the role of supreme leader of the “opposition”.

Comments

[fubar]

Gee, and the Berri-Hariri talks were oh so promising just weeks ago...and clearly there will be decisive and effective cooperation on the part of Iran and Syria to help solve the Lebanon crisis.

(IRNA) Iranian Ambassador to Beirut Mohammad-Reza Sheibani said on Tuesday that lack of understanding and confidence among heads of various Lebanese groups accounts for break of recent talks between Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and son of the former slain prime minister, Saadeddin Hariri.

He briefed IRNA on the reasons for the break in negotiations between Berri, representing the government's opposition, and Hariri as the head of Al-Mostaqbal political movement on behalf of the groups supporting government.

"Once various Lebanese groups manage to have more confidence in each other, the grounds will be prepared for talks between the two sides.

"Prior to the recent Arab League summit in Riyadh, Hariri and Berri met seven times and discussed ways of finding a solution to the current crisis," he added.

Sheibani said that the meetings were reported as so promising that both sides hoped for agreement to be reached on the current crisis in Lebanon before the Riyadh summit.

"However, despite the expectations of Lebanese, this did not take place and crisis in the country once remained unsolved," he added.

Turning to Lebanon's crisis as a multidimensional problem, he said that other countries should avoid imposing their solutions or plans on this country.

"They should rather encourage the Lebanese to decide their own destiny and support them to this end," he added.

The Iranian ambassador referred to cooperation of Iran-Saudi Arabia, Syria-Saudi Arabia, Syria-Lebanon and Syria-France as various dimensions that can be decisive and effective in solving the crisis in Lebanon.

********

You see, it's all just a lack of understanding. But not to worry, Lebanon will see the light and will see the beauty of being Syria and Iran's little vassel state. Just have confidence in supreme leader Nasrallah and all will be well. The crisis will end as soon as Lebanon understands.

[Jeha]

I recall reading of the warning from King Feisal to the Shah of Iran, on the latter's plans to "accelerate" his country's modernization and create a strong military; "you are king of Persia, not king of Switzerland"...

In a similar vein, Ahmadinejad need to remember that he is President of Iran, not president of the United States... It takes a while to enrich Uranium, manufacture enough Plutonium and prepare it in the right amount, configure explosive charges, triggers, and test... all the while making sure to come up with a useful payload that does not exceed 250kg, in order to fit it in their current vectors. Then comes training, storage and maintenance.

And it takes muy mucho dineros; the French and British are barely able to afford their arsenal...

[Jeha]

Fubar,

is that a "light", or a train?

[Charlie]

Jeha,

Actually Mr Khan has had the honor of showing the Iranians how to make a bomb on the cheap and without using Plutonium rods from a reactor ( much more complex of a process). I don't think the US or the Arabs should wait on this much longer. It is time to take out that threat now.

[fubar]

Jeha,

Oh, ye of little confidence. My opinion is clearly not reliable since, as you now know from a devotee of and soldier in the army of the supreme leader, I am "paranoid". Perhaps someday, if you are really lucky, you too will carry such a badge of honor.

And to answer your unspoken question as to why I have not slain that dragon yet, no, I have not mellowed. While he bestowed that badge of honor, he had the inate good sense to recognize a superior and to use the proper form of address. However, I see he has now crossed the line by being disrespectful to the lovely Lin Aijia...

[Jeha]

Fubar,

I think I can relate. ... in any case, to agree with your second point, when some disrespects the Truth, and distorts the facts, disrespecting a fellow traveler comes natural.

[Jeha]

Charlie,

The Pakistani designs may be too big for those vectors; the magical number for a useful device is around 250Kg, meaning around 5 kg of Plutonium. Uranium devices would be too big to be of "practical" use.

In any case, it takes more than just the materials to make a bomb. As an analogy; we all know how a combustion engine is built, and we can pretty much figure out how to repair it given time. But manufacturing one is a wee bit trickier.

[ghassan karam]

Fubar,
Am I detecting some undertones of a gender bias? Tsk Tsk Tsk:-) One of my daughters , who is a womens Studies Major, would object strongly to being singled out in a rescue mission as chivalrous as that mission might be LOL.

[fubar]

Ghassan Karam,

LOL. Have no doubt, I am fully aware that this particular lady does not require my assistance. I am merely saving her the bother.

[JoseyWales]

or bear the consequences

Bwahahah. Hate to agree with Syria and Iran, but the Saudis deserve zero respect.

[Jeha]

There may be an upside to some level of "Gender Bias"; it gave us some great poetry and songs, from Antar and Abla's antics, to Lili Marlene's longing waiting for her man. Then there is some humor in the cavalry coming in late to pick up the pieces of the poor Hun who got beaten up by the fair maiden...

[Umm Kais]

I don't mind a little gender bias and gender bias is definitely not such a bad thing all the time. Ghassan--kudos to your daughter. I will fully admit that my responses are a little more "emotional" than most of you--you guys are always so levelheaded! I'd also like to think that if someone got really nasty with me, Abu Kais would say something :) Feel free to ignore me half the time.

Lebanon arouses much more hotheadedness than China, and China is supposed to be my passion!

Fubar--ni hui bu hui shuo zhongwen? Or do you just have a good memory? (Referencing Lin Aijia)

[fubar]

Umm Kais,

Umm Kais says, "I'd also like to think that if someone got really nasty with me, Abu Kais would say something."

Hmmmm...

I'm sure that if someone got really nasty with me, Abu Kais would beat the shit out of him.

There...fixed.

I don't speak Chinese. I could say that I hang on your every word but then Abu Kais might feel the need to at least attempt to beat me down. So let's just go with good memory. = )

[Jeha]

Emotions are underrated, and level headedness can often be disguised "social Autism"... All too often, "Wo tingbudong", when confronted to some events; Real people make things happen, with all their emotions and biases.

[Umm Kais]

Jeha-Aiya! Ni kan de dong zhongwen?

[Jeha]

Umm Kais - "Duibuqi"... "Wo dong" a little "zhongwen"; I just started, and I am downloading some software to that effect. I have the "kouyin" right, I think, but I still need to figure out "guiding". I learn linear languages easily, once I figure out the rules and get a sense for the culture.

[BadVilbel]

--------------------------------------------------------------

The U.S. government is waging a "covert war" against Hizbullah by arming militias in Lebanon opposed to the group, Hizbullah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem said in comments published Wednesday.
In an interview with Britain's Guardian daily from a safe house in Beirut's southern suburbs, Qassem also did not rule out a new conflict between Hizbullah fighters and Israel.

U.S. Vice President "Dick Cheney has given orders for a covert war against Hizbullah," Qassem was quoted as saying. "There is now an American program that is using Lebanon to further its goals in the region."
---------------------------------------------------------------

Gotta love the hypocrisy here. Hezb has been receiving weapons from Iran and Syria for years. Not to mention that when the government was sympathetic to Hezbollah (i.e. between 1990 and 2003), it also "turned a blind eye" (and even continues to do so at some levels) to all the arms smuggling.
So Sheikh Qassem needs to get off his high horse and stop talking out of his ass. You can't expect to be a non-governmental armed group and then complain when other non-governmental groups arm too.

[fubar]

Well, it appears that Secretary of Defense Bob Gates will be visiting Israel next week.

Highly unlikely he is going to chat about the Palis who are on the verge of civil war yet again. No, the better bet is Iran, Syria and Lebanon.

Good sign or bad sign...depends on your point of view.

[Solomon2]

Another Hezbollah-Israel war looming? Since no one will discuss the implications in serious detail, why not start up with the jokes?

I'll begin:

A hundred years from now there will still be poverty and injustice in the world, war may still be raging in Africa, and Europe may well be prisoner of the hijab, but thanks to Hezbollah's efforts all will be quiet on the Sino-Israeli border!

[fubar]

Solomon -- lol

Speaking of China:

(Daily Times) China is to create the world’s first ‘Woman Town’ where women make all the decisions and disobedient men face punishments. Chongqing is to convert its Shuangqiao district into Woman Town, covering 2.3 square km.

The slogan: “A woman never makes a mistake. A man can never reject a woman’s request will be carved into the town gates. Construction will take around two years, and the place will become a very good destination for entertainment and relaxation,” says Li Jigang, director of Shuangqiao district tourism bureau.

“In any tour group entering this town, female members would play the deciding role, concerning shopping and other items of the itinerary. We are drafting a township law, which stipulates clearly how men should be punished and for what. A disobedient man will be punished by kneeling on an uneven wooden board or by washing dishes in a restaurant.”

*******

Opps, its payback time. AK, you might want to check the itinerary very carefully next time Lin Aijia wants to take you on a trip to China.

And to bring it full circle, I'm thinking Hezbollah will not be making inroads in the Shuangqiao district any time soon.

[fubar]

(JPost) Lebanese forces opened fire on IAF planes flying over the southern Lebanese town of Ba'albek, a Lebanese news agency reported on Thursday evening.

The IDF spokesperson told the Jerusalem Post that no such incident occurred.

*******

Target practice? Hit anything? Who was doing the shooting - LAF or Hezbollah? Maybe it was just a UFO and not the IAF.

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- A radiant Unidentified Flying Object was observed in the sky of the town of Yasouj in western Iran from 20:00 to 20:30 hours local time (16:30 to 17:00 GMT) Wednesday night.

Witnesses told FNA that the object has been observed for more than an half an hour.

Witnesses also said that the UFO which was as big as a ball and with a blue color disappeared after the weather grew cloudy.

Officials declined to comment on the event.

In similar incidents in the last few months, 4 Unidentified Flying Objects were witnessed in separate cases in the same area and almost at the same time.

In one of such cases a UFO crashed in Barrez Mounts in the central province of Kerman.

[ghassan karam]

Fubar,
There is something about the report that LAF has fired on IAF that is not quite right. The Jerusalem Post knows better than to say that Ba'albeck is in the South?
BTW, the JPost.com is reporting that the French contingent of the UNIFIL was two seconds away from shooting at IAF F15's. It appears that the French are fed up with the frequent overflights and I am afraid that they appear to be itching to show their neutrality by shooting down an Israli jet.

[Solomon2]

If somebodys goofs and shoots down the Poles who are training with the Israelis, I think people in Brussles and Warsaw are going to be upset.

[fubar]

Ghassan Karam,

You can't seriously think that France will shoot an IAF plane out of the air.

Neutral? France isn't freakin' neutral. They can't afford to piss the Israelis off. If the going gets tough, they have to bug out to Israel and payback can be a bitch, friendly fire and all -- gee, we thought those tanks were Hezbollah's new up armored humvees carrying Zelzal-2's, who knew, oh well, sorry.

And all of this doesn't even take into consideration that France is not in charge of UNIFIL anymore. They need the Italian commanders permission or the shit will really hit the fan.

Its all just talk to buffalo the sheep.

[JoseyWales]

The French shooting an IDF plane? Are you nuts?

The French won't even protect their own cops in the their capital city nor fine a free-rider in the metro. Their country is on a Lebanese-like slippery slope.

[fubar]

(Haaretz) Hezbollah would be ready to transform its armed resistance into a political movement, if all occupied Lebanese territories were freed, a Spanish representative to the European parliament said on Sunday.

"One of the positive elements of our meetings with Hezbollah was that they declare that they would like to become a political movement ... when the occupation of Lebanese land ends," David Hammerstein told reporters at the end of a three-day visit by an EU delegation to Lebanon.

"When asked when the occupation ends, they said clearly the 'Shebaa Farms'," Hammerstein added. "We all clearly support such an idea of placing Shebaa under the temporary jurisdiction of the United Nations and urge Syria and Israel to cooperate with this idea which will end the tension on the borders between Lebanon and Israel."

**********

Shebaa Farms becomes Lebanese and then Hezbollah has no reason to resist the occupation, lays down its arms, and becomes a political party.

Give me a break. Is there no end to European stupidity and willingness to be terrorist propagandists?

Oh, and BTW, can we have a Hezbollah leader's name to go with that little promise, just for the record? And did you ask what happens if Syria refuses to go along with the Shebaa Farms is Lebanese plan?

[ghassan karam]

Fubar,
The naivete of those that are living at the end of history can be astounding especially when they are dealing with those that are living in pre-history:-)

[Jeha]

Furbar,

You're too hard on poor David Hammerstein, he is just figuring out that, when someone tells him that "they will still respect him in the morning", it should not be taken literally. A "first time" may not necessarily be special, especially for those who dabble in Middle-Eastern politics.

Then again, I hear the distinguished gentleman for Gadalaloca just got a new hunting license, for Flying Elephants. They're in season this year.

[fubar]

Jeha,

"Furbar" - I resent that remark. Man, I thought you were beyond stereotyping. Or maybe its was just a Freudian slip -- fur envy. LOL

As for Hammerstein, you are probably right, he has probably never heard of temporary marriage and is still blissfully ignorant of the fact that he was just screwed.

Ghassan,

Give it up. I don't buy into that end of history crap. If the European Union is the end of history, we are all screwed and I refuse to go down without a fight.

[Jeha]

Fubar,

Sorry about the Typo... The end of history may be brought about by the ongoing wars, as Einstein had it; "I do not know which weapons would be used in the third world war, but the fourth will see the survivors fighting with clubs... And dressed in Cro-Magnon "couture", from Hugh Saint-Laurent.

[fubar]

Jeha,

How right Einstein was. And that is why I am prepared for just such an eventuality...after I run out of ammunition, that is. = )

In the end it all comes down to the survival of the fittest. Anyone who ignores that fact does so at their own peril. When push comes to shove, post-nuclear winter man is not going to share his fresh kill with the sissy boy and, in fact, is going to steal sissy boy's woman, if he has one, that is.

Beer Theory of Agricultural Revolution and Political Factions

The division of the human family into its two distinct political branches occurred some 10,000 years ago, when humans coexisted as members of small bands of nomadic hunter/gatherers.

The pivotal event of societal evolution was the invention of beer. This epochal event was both the foundation of modern civilization and the occasion of the bifurcation of humanity into its two distinct subgroups: Liberals and Conservatives.

Once beer was discovered, it required grain, and that was the beginning of agriculture. Neither the glass bottle nor aluminum can were invented yet, so it was necessary to stick close to the brewery. That's how villages were formed.

Some men spent their days killing animals to barbecue at night while they were drinking beer. This was the beginning of the conservative movement.

Other men who were weaker and less skilled at hunting, learned to live off the conservatives by showing up for the nightly barbecues and doing the sewing, fetching and hair dressing. This was the beginning of the liberal movement. An interesting evolutionary side note: some of these early liberal men eventually evolved into women.

Liberal achievements include the domestication of cats, the trade union, the invention of group therapy and group hugs, and the concept of democratic voting to decide how to divide the meat and beer that the conservatives provided.

Over the years, conservatives became to be symbolized by the largest, most powerful land animal on earth. Liberals are symbolized by the jackass. Modern liberals like imported beer (with lime added), but most prefer white wine or imported bottled water. They eat raw fish but like their beef well done. Sushi, tofu, and French food are standard liberal fare. Another interesting evolutionary side note: most of their women have higher testosterone levels than their men.

Most social workers, personal injury attorneys, journalists, dreamers in Hollywood and group therapists are liberals. Liberals invented the designated hitter rule because it wasn't "fair" to make the pitcher also bat.

Conservatives drink domestic beer, they eat red meat, and still provide for their women. Conservatives are big-game hunters, rodeo cowboys, lumber jacks, construction workers, medical doctors, police officers, corporate executives, soldiers, athletes, and generally anyone who works productively outside government. Conservatives who own companies hire other conservatives who want to work for a living.

Liberals produce little or nothing. They like to "govern" the producers and decide what to do with the production. Liberals believe Europeans are more enlightened than Americans. That is why most of the liberals remained in Europe when conservatives were coming to America. They crept in after the wild west was tame and created a business of trying to get MORE for nothing.

Here ends the lesson in world history.

I didn't write that myself. It's been floating around for a while. But trust me when I say that conservative have learned the lesson of the past and, next time around, the conservatives will not be sharing with the liberals.

[Je-Hugh]

Fubar,

It is not necessarily "the survival of the fittest", more like those who happen to have the right makeup for the prevailing conditions, i.e., the lucky... or those who, rather than just stocking ammo, learned to make arrows and bows (it's really high-tech)... And beer.

BTW, your beer theory may not far from the truth; there is intriguing evidence that beer making preceded bread making, and bureaucrats followed soon. Maybe this is what created a suitable environment for "sissy boys" to proliferate.

[Jay]

I get it. Liberals bad, conservatives good. How subtle.

[Jeha]

Jay,

not necessarily "bad". Just too darn... "Liberal".

[fubar]

Jay,

I take it your feeling your days of mooching beer are threatened. Come here, group hug, then flint napping lesson. = )

[Jay]

fubar,

Thanks, but I'm busy having a manicure and eating ice cream. Suffice to say that I just don't find a "X smells bad and is lazy and a poopy head" jokes funny at my age anymore. Eyeball-upward-rolling maybe.