World View: U.N. Makes Biggest Funding Request Ever, for Syria

This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

• U.N. makes biggest funding request ever, for Syria
• Arab states split over issue of Iran’s rapprochement with the West

U.N. makes biggest funding request ever, for Syria

A Syrian man cries carrying the body of a child killed by an al-Assad barrel bomb (AP)

The United Nations on Monday made the biggest appeal for emergency aidin its history, a total request of $12.9 billion, half of which is forvictims of Syria’s war. According to the U.N., 9.3 million peopleinside Syria require aid. In addition, around 2.4 million refugeeshave fled, mainly to Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt.

This appeal comes a day after Syria’s Bashar al-Assad regime droppeddozens of “barrel bombs” on civilian neighborhoods in Aleppo, killing76, including 28 children.

The war in Syria began almost three years ago, when al-Assad orderedhis army to start shooting innocent protesters, bombing and flatteningneighborhoods where innocent people were living, launching missilesinto children’s dormitories and bedrooms, raping, torturing,mutilating and massacring innocent women and children on a largescale. These genocidal acts are continuing, but thanks to Russia,which is fully participating in the genocidal acts by supplyingunlimited weapons to al-Assad, the U.N. has not even criticized theal-Assad regime. And this is also thanks to the U.S., whichhas sold out its foreign policy to the Russians.

So we have the ridiculous situation where al-Assad is killing hundredsof thousands of his own civilians, and is making millions morehomeless, freezing and starving, and what does the U.N. do? Insteadof even criticizing the genocidal acts, it begs people for anunlimited amount of money to provide aid to the continuing flow ofgenocide victims. The U.N. is like a funeral director who arrangesfor people to be killed in order to have more business.

In the meantime, the actions of Alawite/Shia Bashar al-Assad to try toexterminate all the Sunnis in Syria has inflamed the entire Mideastalong sectarian lines, and has turned Syria into a magnet for Sunnijihadists from all over the world. This is an absolute disaster.AFP and AP

Arab states split over issue of Iran’s rapprochement with the West

A serious split is developing among the Arabian Gulf states in theGulf Coordination Council (GCC) over the apparent rapprochementbetween Iran and the West. Saudi Arabia has already split with theUnited States and the United Nations over what the Saudis callflip-flop over the “red line” on chemical weapons.

The improving relationship between the U.S. administration andIran is turning Saudi Arabia’s concerns to alarm. The Saudisconsider Iran to be a mortal enemy, and they view Iran’sinfluence as growing throughout the region, thanks to theirrelationship with Hezbollah in Lebanon and al-Assad in Syria,and the support of the United States and Russia. The Saudisare proposing that the GCC nations form a “Gulf Union,” similarto the European Union. According to a Saudi official:

“[It is] Saudi Arabia’s desire to reach the phase ofthe Gulf Union, because it is the interest of the GCC states, andbecause unity would grant the Gulf strength so it can continuebeing an active partner in Middle Eastern affairs… The ArabGulf, with its possibilities and achievements, has become a targetfor threats by several elements, which makes the call totransition from the stage of cooperation to that of union apressing matter… The union is no longer a luxury, but rather achallenge… in light of the increasing dangers around us. TheUnion has become the first and only option for Gulfcitizens… [In fact,] it was the initial motivation for creatingthe GCC, which was established over three decades ago in order to[ultimately] reach the stage of full unity.”

However, Oman has bluntly rejected the call for the Gulf Union, to theextent of threatening to leave the six-member GCC if the plan goesahead. Oman has been joined by United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatarin opposing the Union. Bahrain has sided with the Saudis, while theremaining GCC member, Kuwait, has remained silent.

Unlike Saudi Arabia, where the predominant form of Islam is SunniIslam, the predominant form in Oman is Ibadi, which is distinct formof Islam practiced mostly in eastern and northern Africa. Thus, Omanis not closely tied to either Saudi Arabia and Iran from a religioussect point of view, and sees itself as a mediator between the twocountries. Memri andAl-Jazeera

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