In trying to make sense of middle eastern politics and

[deziloooooo]

happenings for the average american citizen..and we should have a interest, since so much of today events are tied into different happenings in this part of the world. It took me for example  such a long time to understand the differences between Shia and Sunni factions..I still have trouble understanding the importance of the differences, interpetations of the religion, Islam, but do admit for the parties  involved, Shia, Sunni, this is a big , big deal...not necessary for me to understand the intricicies  of, just that it IS a big big deal and not to make light of them...the differences...

With that said, and with so much of todays' news centering on violence spreading from that part of the world, and even with falling gasoline prices, energy and its cost, still so important to our and the worlds economies..even with fracking and conservation being so in vogue and so much of the worlds energy resources still coming from this party of the world, we can't distance ourselves from what is happening there.{Especially with the recent violence being directed , happening and threatened to all things Western..}

I thus have turned to al jazeera, foreign edition for much of my learning of what is what there and why..understanding that many of the contributors of articles on that site , it is their own conclusions and thoughts that are being expressed, but for the most part, their credentials and expertise seems to be holding up...

I am posting a few article topics that are explaining what is currently going on in that part of the world and for those interested , you may find educational in explaining why certain things are happening. {It seems we get little of that on our normal news sites IMHO}  This first  one is a explanation of importance of recent Saudi inititives and why in their reopening of Embassies in Iraq } Bagdad}and in Kurds area of Iraq and the beginning of cooperation a bit between the Saudis, Iranians and Iraq...


www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/01/saudi-bold-political-gambit-20151545814291980.html

A article explaining who and why so many, in this case, Lebanese young people..{Females are involved too}are involved with ISIS , doing suicidal bombings and many do not have a deep religouse back ground..While this pertains to Lenonese youth, the same could be said for other middle east youth from other countries ..same type back ground, same happenings and events..

www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2015/01/why-do-lebanon-young-men-join-isil-20151145367392756.html

[deziloooooo]

 I see little to no interest on this topic on this board but am still running across interesting articles that are showing real problems in Europe, including UK and personally I feel if this area is under a possible threat, then so aren't we..all Western oriented in our values...and seems these values are what is p off these extremists..

Also never realized so many of the Muslim faith in these Europe countries ..and in my mind, even if not part of these extremist groups, some sympathies  are sure to arise , even to such low key help given to the bad guys , as it seems on might have been.  Lending one of the Paris bad guys  a car as one did ..and other such low key help....by others who are really not into these terror groups...To the point of not passing on suspicions of some of the possible bad guys from conversations encounters, in mosques, on the street gatherings..just in passing..

"The continent has no centralized strategy or a common security mechanism for concerted action to locate or counter a peril that jumps out of the shadows from inside and outside Europe.
The sheer numbers are overwhelming: Belgium has roughly 750,000 Muslims, France – some 5 million; Germany - 4.2 m, Italy - 1.5 m, Netherlands – around 1 m, Spain – 1.2 m and Britain - app. 3 m."


debka.com/article/24345/Europe-rounds-up-25-jihadi-suspects-Crackdown-hamstrung-by-lack-of-counterterrorism-center