Lines In The Sand

The Middle East and northern Africa circa 1914. (Courtesy of/www.clas.ufl.edu)

Middle Eastern borders, once imposed, are breaking down.

Saudi forces bombed another Northern Yemen town.

Libya has splintered; there are Syrians "in hell."

I can't name a single country where it's going well.

ISIL's killing refugees who've fled from Palestine.

It's not safe no matter where you draw some borderline.

Mix religion, history and tribal loyalties

And you get a situation where no side agrees.

I predict it won't get better 'til it's gotten worse

Meanwhile, we're the common enemy that many curse.

Every time we pick a side we make the others mad,

Angering established allies we might once have had.

 

We aren't winning hearts and minds and I have little doubt

Only if the countries in the region sort it out

Will they make a peace that has a chance of being kept.

Wish we'd thought of consequences there before we leapt.

Damned If We Do...

(Courtesy of/http://pretmetmohammed.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/pmm-shia-sunni.jpg)

Reformations are not pretty (that's to say the least.)

Look at the example now throughout the Middle East.

Muslims, having splintered into multitudes of sects,

Each of them interpreting the same religious texts

Do not trust each other well enough to compromise;

Ancient grievances behind the chaos on the rise.

Every time we've intervened we've just made matters worse.

Every time that someone dies it's us the mullahs curse.

Time we let Islamic leaders deal with their own crap;

We should stick to wiping ISIL forces off the map.

There's no winning strategy to fight religious wars.

All that we'll accomplish is to die on foreign shores.

Failing in Yemen

(Courtesy of/news.yahoo.com)

No one wants to say that Yemen's failing as a state

But the situation on the ground ain't looking great.

President has fled the country; Houthis hold the streets...

I'd say the criteria for failing's one it meets.

Saudis and Iranians engaged in proxy war;

Former leaders want to loot the country even more.

Sunni fighting Shia with al Qaeda in the mix

Yemen's problems may yet prove impossible to fix.

On the brink of civil war - the final coffin nail -

What else would you call this if it's not an epic fail?

U.S. forces left already; writing's on the wall

As another sign of Arab Spring becomes its Fall.

The 113th Congress - What Kind of Example is This?

Do we want to show the world that we'll negotiate

If the threat is big enough?  Well, isn't that just great?

Less than perfect timing (just to understate the facts)

Threaten world economies until the Congress acts.

With a common enemy the Arab street unites;

We're that common enemy - ignoring sovereign rights.

Two raids into Africa; a city street, a beach...

One man's being questioned but the other's out of reach.

Egypt doesn't like the fact we can't support their coup.

In Afghanistan their President is angry, too.

Karzai says he won't agree to sign a long-term deal

'cause we never stop to ask the Afghans how they feel.

Pakistan and Yemen hate that we use unmanned drones;

All the world is mad the NSA is tapping phones.

Now they get to watch and see our government not work...

Anyone who'd sign up for this kind of thing's a jerk.

Syria - Can It Get Any Worse?

Syrian parents are living in a nightmare. (Photo/The Guardian)

Watching as civilians thrashed then died - my stomach turned.

But, I don't know what to do where Syria's concerned.

Some have called this apathy...  In fact, it's the reverse;

I am too afraid that we will only make things worse.

How much worse, you wonder, could this situation get?

First of all, the Russians have continued saying "Nyet!"

They will use their UN veto; blocking any vote

Even if there's evidence of gas, and that's a quote.

Syria is friendly with Iranians, as well...

Now that hopes and dreams for Arab Spring are shot to hell

Judging by the chaos in Afghanistan, Iraq,

Pakistan - with Yemen fearing imminent attack

Why are we assuming if we start another fight

We have any guarantees, this time, we'll get it right?

Yes, we must do something! Let's help fleeing refugees.

Look before we leap into another quagmire, please.

God Bless The CIA

CIA just foiled a plot to bomb a U.S. flight...

Warning to the terrorists; they've got you in their sight.

Still, what is the deal with bombs in underwear? It's strange;

I would bet that  detonator's tricky to arrange.

Credit, though, where credit's due and thus, I have to say;

Job well done! They kept us safe. God bless the CIA.

(Bet they never worry how a bomb like that would feel

Sewn into their underwear, 'cause they've got balls of steel.)

Plus, have guys in Yemen never heard; the TSA

Took away our privacy on airplanes anyway?

If you're wearing diapers now - and past the age of 4 -

You'd have very little chance of getting through the door...

Not without a pat-down that would make a sailor blush

And, if someone starts in to complaining; tell 'em "Hush!

(Even those with leaky bladder syndrome like my aunt's)

"Sorry, but some morons wear explosives in their pants."