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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Hawkmoon who wrote (32343)	6/15/2002 4:22:49 AM
From: D. Long	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

And I disagree with Bilow's response.. It's not "installing" western-controlled regimes, but about "enabling" already existing moderate regimes to assume political power. Well, I didn't want to encourage Bilow's style of rebuttal. He didn't quite think it through, considering the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and just about all the Gulf sheikdoms, are "western imposed monarchies." They've survived pretty well, and are the most Western friendly. Jordan, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait... Regarding "enabling," that is what is most intriguing about King Abdullah. The Hashemites have a very real claim to Syria, Iraq, Jordan, AND Saudi Arabia. All were Hashemite monarchies. The Hashemites have been the rulers of Mecca all the way back to the Prophet himself, so they definately have a far greater claim to the Hijaz than the Saudis. What's more, as the direct male descendent of the Prophet, who else has a better claim to the title of Caliph? What would be more satisfying than taking the wind out of Osama's sails... by coopting his marketing slogan? The creation of the new Caliph... which would be a moderate constitutional monarchy instead of an Islamic totalitarian state. I think even Nadine would be comfortable with a state like that on Israel's borders. It would go a long way towards relieving the Palestinian problem. It would eliminate three sources of radicalization while creating a moderating influence. Abdullah would no longer be beholden to Palestinian demographics. Except in the person of his wife, maybe. :) And given we "start him off" it could be an Arab victory. It's not like we have to conquer Iraq, Syria, and Saudi Arabia and hand em over to Abdullah and say "yer Caliph now, kid." The Hashemites could win their own crowns, with US military hardware sold at a comfortable price, of course. :) Derek