Middle East Focus: Iranian Threats, Mullah Admirals, Arab Potemkin Navies, Somali Pirates, Horn of Africa……….

Arabia Deserta

Iranian Threats, Mullah Admirals, Arab Potemkin Navies, Somali Pirates, Horn of Africa……….

“Recommendations of the ‘Conference on Iranian Moves in East Africa and the Horn’ at Cairo stressed the importance of careful analysis of Iranian moves in east Africa and finding the best ways of dealing with them. The conference of experts emphasized the importance of preventing Iran from spreading her influence and interests in the region as this negatively affects the interests of countries near the Horn of Africa, especially Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen, as well as the Persian Gulf states. The conference called for increased presence by Arab and ~~Islamic~~ states and not leaving the field vacant for Iran to fill…….....

“General (Ahmaed Hourmaheb) said that this represents a challenge for Egypt and other countries, that East Africa represents the strategic depth for Egypt ….....Others stressed peace...…. Interests of countries….....Iranian challenge…...… serious instability in region…..…..Palestinian disturbances……….. Gulf of Aden…….. cooperation with Eritrea………. strategic interests......... How do you spell a frigging frigate....... blah blah blah…….”

Interesting nonsense indeed, typical of most state-sponsored or state-sanctioned Arab conferences. The participants know what their oligarchies want them to say, and they say it. They have to sort of walk on eggshells.

The Horn of Africa and the strait are choked with all kinds of navies, except Arab navies. They are full of navies: American, French, British, German, Italian, Russian, Indian, Chinese, Koreans, Burkina Fasoians, Nepalese, Afghani, Thor Heyerdahl, Lilliputian, and many others.

Yet the oligarchies and their “thinkers” are worried about the small lousy Iranian navy, worried that it might catch some fellow Arab pirates (Somalia is an Arab nation and a member of the Arab League). They should know that every Iranian navy fleet has a super-mullah who advises the admiral. So how militarily clever and dangerous can that mullah be, especially when not armed with nukes? And how advanced can their warships be? Besides, anybody who wants can send their navy to the Horn of Africa, and they do, except for the Arab oligarchs who want their armed forces close at home to keep an eye on their peoples. Or maybe all the hundreds of billions spent on arms (and the tens of billions of commissions paid for potentates and their families) did not buy enough firepower to send a few feluccas down the Red Sea or around the Strait of Hormuz.

For all the talk about the ‘strategic interests’ of these countries: in the end the only strategic interest that interests the Arab oligarchies is probably the same strategic interest that interests the mullahs, and that is keeping themselves in power.
Cheers
mhg
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