Saudi Arabia vs. Iran

[Seattle Husker]

Shits going down in the Middle East after Saudi Arabia executed a Shiite cleric: http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/04/middleeast/saudi-arabia-iran-severing-ties-whats-next/index.html

Sunni countries are now limiting or eliminating diplomatic ties with Iran. Russia and China have even weighed in asking all sides to practice restraint.

On Monday, the Saudi government announced that all flights to and from Iran are suspended, according to the Saudi Pres Agency. The suspension is effective immediately, and the country's civil aviation authorities will take steps to accommodate those with existing bookings to and from Iran, the press agency reported.

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On Monday, Bahrain also announced it is severing diplomatic ties with Iran, citing Tehran's "blatant and dangerous interference" in Bahrain and other Arab countries.

The United Arab Emirates, meanwhile, announced it was "downgrading" its diplomatic relations with Iran. The UAE recalled its ambassador in Tehran and said it would also reduce the number of diplomats stationed in Iran, according to state news agency WAM.

The UAE "has taken this exceptional step in light of Iran's ongoing interference in internal (Gulf Cooperation Council) and Arab affairs that has recently reached unprecedented levels," a government statement said.

The diplomatic row spread to Africa, where Sudan -- a majority Sunni Muslim country -- expelled the Iranian ambassador and the entire Iranian diplomatic mission in the country. Sudan also recalled its ambassador from Iran.

The Saudi government announced the Sudanese move, saying Sudan acted because of "the Iranian interference in the region through a sectarian approach."

This Shia - Sunni divide is widening and threatens to spread the wars and unrest throughout the Middle East.

 

[huisache]

it is a shame this sunni-shiite divide was not explained to W, though it has existed for a thousand years. How was he to know?

I recall a few months after the big win for our side that Biden said the only way Iraq could be held together was a Swiss style confederation with the Kurds, Sunnis and Shia all having some autonomy and joint control over the petrol. Last intelligent thought I heard from anybody in any administration

 

[Clean]

Well, at least Hillary spoke clearly and decisively about it:

"Clearly this raises serious questions that we have to raise directly with the Saudi government," Clinton said in response to a Derry town hall question about how she would handle the situation as president.

"We have governments we work with on a number of issues whose policies and values are antithetical to ours, to be just blunt about it. And yet who also have certain interests with us that we are involved in," she said.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/03/politics/hillary-clinton-saudi-arabia-executions/index.html

What can you possibly add to that? I think we're all indebted to Hillary for clearly stating what needed to be said in authentic frontier gibberish.