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Al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri The Coordinator 2015 Part 19-71-Caliphate-Sunni-Shia-7

In The "War of the Cross, we seek a Strategy, our Enemy has one."How far did (do) we allow the Iranian influence sphere to grow?

Libya, Syria, Yemen: Sectarian conflict threatens entire Middle East, Tehran vs The Awakening Sunni Arab Camp

Previous: It doesn’t take an expert to realize that the global fight against terrorism is going badly. With ISIS spreading in Iraq, Syria, Libya, and now Yemen, al-Qaeda affiliates still operating throughout the region, and a growing foreign-fighter threat, it’s a matter not of if, but when, something is going to hit closer to U.S. and Western states soil. The Saudi-Iranian rivalry is, at its core, a competition going back years for power and dominance across the Middle East. "The new Middle East cold war predates the Arab Spring by at least half a decade, but increased Iranian influence in the Arab world dates back even longer."

‘It’s like a war here’ “The Saudis are playing with fire… they invested in military equipment for years, spending probably more money than countries like India. They can resolve things with their aircraft, not knowing that their aircraft hasn’t actually achieved anything. I think logic and reason and a political solution would be the answer… otherwise they made a large miscalculation entering the war.” “The confrontation that is going on with Yemen is not going to leave Saudi Arabia without any consequences,” “Obviously there’s a large minority that exists in Saudi Arabia, they’ve been deprived for a very long time of their basic rights and they’ve been treated like second-class [citizens],” adding that the situation could “explode at any time.” Political analyst Kamel Al Wazne. C: ….Muhammed's Army may eventually come home to Mecca."….

Measure to galvanize Sunnis to target Shias wherever they may be. “I’m afraid the characterization of this war is quite misrepresented in international media, especially in the US press… the main goal isn’t to uproot or eliminate terrorism in Yemen, but in fact to encourage terrorism against Shias. We should remember that Saudi Arabia provided 15 of the 19 hijackers in 9/11. They have the same religion – Wahabism – as Al-Qaeda and ISIS, and right now Sunnis are fighting against Shias not only in Yemen, but in Syria and Iraq. Here, the Shias are the underdogs - they are the good guys. “Yemen is already a failed state,” he goes on, remembering that the same fate befell Libya, which became “a breeding ground for extremists.” --- Professor Firat Demir at the University of Oklahoma

U.S. President Barack Obama said the framework agreement reached in Lausanne with Iran on its nuclear program is a "historic understanding," as many Iranians expressed their happiness over the deal.The Unification of Iran and Iraq Is Inevitable," Hassan Hani Zadeh, an editor of the Iranian news agency Mehr

Pakistan is grappling with a dilemma -- should it join a Sunni Arab military coalition fighting Shi'ite Huthi rebels in Yemen, or keep its troops at home?

The Spread Of Terrorism In Iraq Results From "The Hidden Arab Hatred" Against Shi'ites

"All The Arab Generals, Sunni Or Shi'ite, Are Now In The Nightclubs Of Las Vegas. They Don't Care About What Goes On In Iraq"

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IRGC-Affiliated Journalist Urges Iraqis To Forsake Arabism For A Shi'ite-Iranian Identity

“On the one hand the US is supporting Saudi Arabia against Iranian expansionism in the Gulf,” “On the other hand in Iraq’s war against Islamic State the US has in fact become a partner with Iran, which maintains brutal Shi'ite militias.”

Saudi king: Security hinges on “non-interference in Arab affairs” DEBKAfile April 7, 2015, 8:00 AM (IDT) A statement after a weekly cabinet meeting chaired by King Salman said Saudi Arabia "hopes the [nuclear] agreement [between the six powers and Iran] “will reinforce security and stability in the region and the world.” It insisted that security hinged on "the respect of the principle of good neighborly relations and non-interference in Arab affairs.” ‘It’s like a war here’: Saudi police raid defiant eastern province amid wider conflict with Shias Published time: April 06, 2015 One Saudi policeman was killed and four injured during raids on a Shia-dominated oil-rich eastern province, as the Saudi-led coalition bombardment of rebels in neighboring Yemen prompted fears of the fighting spilling over the border. It is thought the security raid in the eastern town of Amawiyah was aimed at subduing Shiite discontent with the Saudi Sunni majority. The gulf kingdom fears further escalation amid the latest regional developments and wider allegations of discrimination. Locals say 30 arrests were made, according to reports. They also accuse authorities of cracking down on anti-government protests and using it as an excuse for the raids. The region is keen to show its dissatisfaction with the Saudi coalition bombardment of Shiite rebels in neighboring Yemen, whom they see as brothers in faith. This is aside from the more general grievances over Saudi discrimination of the Shia in nearly every sector of public life. That the “exchange of fire” quickly turned into a gun battle is hardly a unique occurrence in the resource-rich, but poor majority-Shiite province – incidents have been happening since 2011 when the Shia (10 to 15 percent of the country’s 29 million inhabitants), decided they had had enough and began engaging in activities reminiscent of the Arab Spring protests. Locals report seeing 40 armored security vehicles enter Awamiya at 15:30 (12:30 GMT) on Sunday. One anonymous resident told the Middle East Eye “the gunfire didn’t stop” until 21:00. “Security forces shot randomly at people’s homes, and closed all but one of the roads leading in and out of the village.” “It is like a war here – we are under siege,” he added. Armed locals reportedly engaged the security forces in a gunfight. Armored vehicles were allegedly still seen in the small town after sundown at 9pm (18:00GMT), as the Saudi forces set up security checkpoints and roadblocks.

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The fighting follows local rumors of an anti-government protest that never actually took place. “The protest was canceled because we were told to be careful and that if we rallied they [the security forces] would kill everyone,” one local said Saudi Arabia’s leading Sunni clerics have labeled the Shiite minority as heretics. According to Saudi Arabian officials, the death and injuries in Awamiya on Sunday took place during a security operation to target “terrorist elements,” their weapons and communications equipment. They said the raid also resulted in four arrests for targeting the security forces, according to the state-run SPA news agency. The violence is the latest in a string of restive events that has seen some 20 people lose their lives since 2011. The official Saudi line is that no discrimination is taking place and it’s about fighting an armed uprising. The special op in the east of the country comes as the Saudi-led coalition kept bombarding Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen with airstrikes, an operation that has been ongoing for over a week now, after Yemeni President Hadi was forced to flee the country. The president asked for international intervention to reinstate his rule. Associate Professor Firat Demir at the University of Oklahoma sees this as a measure to galvanize Sunnis to target Shias wherever they may be. “I’m afraid the characterization of this war is quite misrepresented in international media, especially in the US press… the main goal isn’t to uproot or eliminate terrorism in Yemen, but in fact to encourage terrorism against Shias. We should remember that Saudi Arabia provided 15 of the 19 hijackers in 9/11. They have the same religion – Wahabism – as Al-Qaeda and ISIS, and right now Sunnis are fighting against Shias not only in Yemen, but in Syria and Iraq. Here, the Shias are the underdogs - they are the good guys. “Yemen is already a failed state,” he goes on, remembering that the same fate befell Libya, which became “a breeding ground for extremists.” Airstrikes since Saturday morning have targeted Houthi positions near Aden and the Houthi stronghold of Saada in the north of the country. At least 193 people have been killed and more than 1,200 wounded in the fighting there. Three-quarters of the dead were civilians, a medical official told AFP on Saturday. Political analyst Kamel Al Wazne believes the same. “The confrontation that is going on with Yemen is not going to leave Saudi Arabia without any consequences,” he tells RT. “Obviously there’s a large minority that exists in Saudi Arabia, they’ve been deprived for a very long time of their basic rights and they’ve been treated like second-class [citizens],” he says, adding that the situation could “explode at any time.” “The Saudis are playing with fire… they invested in military equipment for years, spending probably more money than countries like India. They can resolve things with their aircraft, not knowing that their aircraft hasn’t actually achieved anything. I think logic and reason and a political solution would be the answer… otherwise they made a large miscalculation entering the war.” Finally, Yemen, with its 10 million living below the poverty line, “doesn’t need[bombardment]… it needs health, it needs food, it needs shelter, it needs water, it needs medical supplies,” Al Wazne explains.

April 1, 2015 Special Dispatch No.6010 IRGC-Affiliated Journalist Urges Iraqis To Forsake Arabism For A Shi'ite-Iranian Identity. In a March 14, 2015 article titled "The Unification of Iran and Iraq Is Inevitable," Hassan Hani Zadeh, an editor of the Iranian news agency Mehr, which is affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), urged Iraqi citizens to renounce their Arabism and embrace the true Islam, i.e. Shi'ite-Iranian Islam.

In the article, which was published on Mehr's website, Hani Zadeh recalled the deep religious and historical ties between the Iranian and Iraqi peoples, and then claimed that all of Iraq's troubles stem from one reason only: the racist hatred of the Arab countries towards the Shi'ites, and their opposition to Iraq's Shi'ite majority ruling over the Sunni minority in Iraq.

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He noted that no Arab general, whether Sunni or Shi'ite, has come to Iraq's aid in its war against ISIS, whereas Iranian forces led by Qods Force Commander Qassem Soleimani rushed to the aid of the Iraqis, both Sunnis and Shi'ites. Hani Zadeh therefore advised the Iraqis to renounce their "primitive false Arabism" and embrace instead the "authentic Islam" of Iranian Shi'ites. It should be noted that this is the second call this month by a prominent Iranian figureurging to unify Iran and Iraq. In early March 2015, Ali Younesi,an advisor to President Hassan Rohani, said that Iran is an empire and Iraq is its capital, and called for substantial cultural unityamong the peoples that comprised the Persian Empire, particularly the Iranian and Iraqi peoples.[1] The following are excerpts from Hassan Hani Zadeh's article.[2])

The Spread Of Terrorism In Iraq Results From "The Hidden Arab Hatred" Against Shi'ites

"It is time that the Iraqi people say their final word and choose between primitive Arabism and authentic Islam, and shake off the dirt of Arab disgrace. "There is no doubt that, throughout history, the Iranian and the Iraqi peoples have been bound by strong religious and historical ties, though these relations saw periods of conflict that had negative effects on the religious and social ties between Iran and Iraq. "Iraq, an ancient Arab country, has an extensive culture, both [pre-Islamic] and Islamic – but most Arab countries look at [Iraq] only from a sectarian point of view, which indicates the degree of racism prevailing in the Arab countries' [attitude] toward Iraq. In recent years, specifically since the fall of the criminal Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003, Iraq has gone through a difficult period, because, contrary to what was customary in [this country], the majority [there] managed to build a modern democratic regime that had not been known among the Arab countries. [But] the majority of the people of Iraq is known for its creedal association with the blessed family of the Prophet Muhammad [i.e., the Shi'a]. This is the main reason for the hostility of the Arab regimes, especially in the Arab countries surrounding Iraq, toward this country.

"The events in Iraq and the spread of the terrorist groups that destroy the security of its people all result from this hidden Arab hatred against the followers of the family of the Prophet in Iraq. Iraq is not the only target of this rancor and hidden enmity. Rather, every Arab or non-Arab group affiliated with the school of the family of the Prophet [i.e., the Shi'a] is likewise subjected to this kind of hatred. Syria, Lebanon, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Yemen are among the countries that suffer harassment for sectarian reasons, and thousands of Shi'ites have been the victims. "When speaking of Iraq, we cannot help considering what is going on in this country and what the Iraqi people – Sunnis, Shi'ites, Kurds and Christians [alike] – suffer at the hands of terrorist groups. These groups have spread throughout Iraq, especially in the north and the west, due to the demographic characteristics of those regions. It is the surrounding Arab countries that helped the terrorist groups to spread in the northern and western parts of Iraq, where these groups find fertile ground and from where they can expand to the rest of Iraq. The sectarian [i.e., Sunni] Arab view of Iraq is well known and does not require elaboration; the surrounding Arab countries do not want to see a government of the [Shi'ite] majority [ruling] over the [Sunni] minority in this country, because of the historic enmity to the [Shi'ites], which is centuries old. "Because of the hidden Arab enmity towards the [Shi'ite] majority, Iraq has not enjoyed stability since 2003, and Iraqi statesmen must [therefore] adopt a new realistic policy detached from false slogans. Iraq needs to don new garb instead of the traditional Arab head-gear and robe; it should turn to a new culture without racism, one that is compatible with the demographic and religious reality in Iraq."

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"All The Arab Generals, Sunni Or Shi'ite, Are Now In The Nightclubs Of Las Vegas. They Don't Care About What Goes On In Iraq" "Iraq, currently in a very difficult situation from a security point of view, has not found any Arab general to save it from the harassment of the terrorist groups. All the Arab generals, Sunni or Shi'ite, are now in the nightclubs of Las Vegas. They don't care about what goes on in Iraq and they have not offered help or military advice. In contrast, the Iranian military leaders rushed to aid the Iraqi people, and more specifically [to the aid of] the people of Tikrit, whose [overwhelmingly Sunni] demography is well-known. By doing this they demonstrated to the whole world that Iran [unlike the Arabs] does not distinguish between Shi'ites and Sunnis and that all the religious groups are equal in its eyes. 

"A famous Iranian general risked his life and went to the most dangerous region in the world to offer his military expertise to the Iraqi army and the Popular [Mobilization] Forces in Tikrit [a Shi'ite militia], for the sake of the Iraqi people. Where are the Arab generals? Why don't they go to Tikrit to help their brethren in Arabism and Islam? In the past ten years Iraq has had a very bitter experience, through which it discovered the falsehood of the Arab claims and the dishonesty of the tears they shed for the Iraqi people. Now it knows who is an enemy and who is a real friend. Hence, the Iraqi people, and specifically the parliament, should work to unite with their true friends and shed the costume of false Arabism – because all the troubles of Iraq are caused by the Arabs who seek to do harm to the Iraqi people and do not wish it well. "How does Iraq benefit from being a nominal member of the Arab League, which looks at the Iraqi people with sectarian eyes? Why do the Arab countries of the Cooperation Council of the Persian Gulf [i.e., the GCC] not allow Iraq to join this group? Is this not clear proof that the six states of this wretched council do not consider Iraq to be an Arab country? "Therefore, it is high time that the Iraqi people make a final decision and choose between primitive false Arabism and authentic Islam, and shake off the dirt of Arab disgrace."

 Endnotes:[1] See MEMRI Special Dispatch 5991, "Advisor To Iranian President Rohani: Iran Is An Empire, Iraq Is Our Capital; We Will Defend All The Peoples Of The Region; Iranian Islam Is Pure Islam – Devoid Of Arabism, Racism, Nationalism,"March 9, 2015. [2] Mehr (Iran), March 14, 2015. It should be noted that Mehr published the article in both Persian and Arabic, but the Persian version was subsequently removed from the site. The translation presented here is based on the Arabic version.

April 02, 2015 Pakistan is grappling with a dilemma -- should it join a Sunni Arab military coalition fighting Shi'ite Huthi rebels in Yemen, or keep its troops at home? A Saudi-led coalition for the past week has been conducting airstrikes against strongholds of Iran-backed Huthi rebels who have seized large swaths of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa.Islamabad has said it will defend Saudi "territorial integrity," but has yet to respond to Riyadh's request that it provide troops to the coalition's mission in Yemen. Pakistan's parliament will convene a special session on April 6 to discuss the request.If Sunni-majority Pakistan chooses to stay out of the conflict it could risk angering Saudi Arabia, a close strategic, religious, and historical ally. But if Islamabad does intervene it risks overextending its armed forces, which are already engaged in a vicious fight against militants at home. There has been fierce debate over the issue in Pakistan, with Sunni religious groups calling for military action. Civil-society activists, however, warn that foreign intervention could further inflame domestic sectarian tensions.

Stretched Military The army is already battling Pakistani Taliban militants in the country's northwest tribal areas, while also maintaining a heavy troop presence on its eastern border with arch-enemy India.

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Talat Masood, a political commentator and former military general, says Pakistan's military resources are too stretched to contribute in Yemen. "The greatest threat for Pakistan is internal," he says. "The military is already heavily preoccupied."Islamabad is also wary of getting bogged down in a regional ethnic and sectarian conflict pitting regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia against each other."It doesn't make much sense to get involved in a conflict which is not going to help Yemen," Masood says. "It's an internal conflict that experience shows should be settled internally rather than through the meddling of foreign powers."

Inflame Sectarianism Tehran has a history of supporting proxies in the region, and analysts say the Iran-Saudi rivalry is being played out in part in Pakistan, which has seen a growing number of sectarian attacks and reprisal killings.Sectarian violence has soared in Pakistan in recent years, most of it targeting the Shi'ite minority, which makes up around 20 percent of the population. "If Pakistan was to get involved in Yemen, its involvement could inflame tensions between Sunni and Shi'ites at home in Pakistan as its involvement could be interpreted as a sign of the state leaning explicitly toward Sunni Islam," Pakistan observer Akhilesh Pillalamarri wrote in the National Interest on April 1. While Pakistan is wary of fanning sectarian discord at home, it will also be reluctant to anger its neighbor Iran, which has strongly criticized the intervention in Yemen.Can't Afford To Say No ; But Pakistan will find it hard to say no to the Saudis, according to analysts. Saudi Arabia has provided Pakistan with huge financial support in the form of cheap oil and loans, including one worth $1.5 billion last year. That assistance has been crucial for Pakistan, which is dealing with a struggling economy and energy crisis.When Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was ousted in a military coup in 1999, it was Saudi Arabia that received him in exile. Muhammad Taqi, a U.S.-based Pakistan political analyst, says Islamabad does not have the luxury of refusing Riyadh's request for military support. "Pakistan is beholden to the Saudis for the last 30 or 40 years, and for Sharif both personally and on a government level," he says, adding that "there is no such thing as a free lunch in geopolitics." Saudi Arabia could consider holding back on aid and the cut-price oil it provides to Pakistan if Islamabad refuses to get involved in Yemen.But history suggests that Pakistan will come to Saudi Arabia's aid, says Pakistani security expert Ayesha Siddiqa. Pakistani forces have helped protect the kingdom on several occasions in the past 50 years. Siddiqa predicts Islamabad will heed the calls from Riyadh in some capacity because Islamabad "will not risk spoiling the crucial relationship."

April 3, On nuclear issues, Hamas sides with Iran, while regarding Yemen the terror group sides with Saudi Arabia. Hamas is attempting to divide its loyalty between the rival regional powers, Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Hamas sides with Iran against the US on negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, but sides with Saudi Arabia against Iran on the Shi’ite Houthi attempts to take over Yemen. “An agreement [on Iran’s nuclear program] would be in Hamas’s favor, since Hamas [already] has strong ties with Iran, and this agreement would improve its relationship with Americans,” Mahmoud al-Zahar, a senior Hamas official in the Gaza Strip told The Media Line. Yet when it comes to the situation in Yemen, Hamas has declared publicly that they support the Saudi-led coalition, which is Sunni, against the Shi'ite Houthi rebel militias which have tried to take over the country. “What is happening right now is best for Hamas movement on all political levels,” Zahar said. “We need to be on their side too in order to gain more friends in the region, especially with Egypt. This is why we released our opinion recently about

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Yemen when we said that we are with the legitimate government in Yemen.” Hamas is tied to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, and under former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, ties with Egypt were close. But since new Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi took power, ties have soured. Sisi recently declared Hamas a terrorist organization, and has sealed off hundreds of tunnels that ran underground from Egypt into the Gaza Strip. Hamas taxed the goods coming through these tunnels, and Egypt’s crackdown has deprived Hamas of a much-needed source of revenue.

Mukhaimar Abu Saada, a professor of political science at Al-Azhar University in Gaza, explained that Hamas, which is Sunni, wishes to improve its relationship with Saudi Arabia and therefore is voicing tacit support for the country’s actions in Yemen. "Saudi Arabia leads the alliance in the region, containing many of the parties that enjoy a good relationship with Hamas - Turkey and Qatar - and Saudi Arabia may be the gateway to improving Hamas's relationship with Egypt,” he said. These countries are reassessing their position toward Hamas, he said, because they have learned that the alternative to Hamas is groups such as al-Qaida and Islamic State. It appears, therefore, that Hamas is keen to move closer to Saudi Arabia and are willing to distance itself from Iran in order to do so.  Mousa Abumarzoq, a member of the political bureau of Hamas said recently that “the Hamas movement is concerned with good and stable relations with Saudi Arabia." Marzouq also revealed that the head of Hamas’s Political Bureau, Khaled Meshaal, will be visiting Saudi Arabia though he did not specify when. Until now, Hamas has been closely allied with Iran, which has also provided most of the funding for the organization which has controlled Gaza since 2007. Talal Okal, a political writer at the al-Ayyam newspaper based in Ramallah, says that “Hamas wants to withdraw from the Iranian camp and head toward the Sunni Arab coalition, led by Saudi Arabia, out of its isolation.”  Okal said that Hamas sees the move toward Saudi Arabia as a way to reduce the isolation they have been feeling in recent years from Arab and international states alike. “For the last two years Hamas has paid the price for being close to Iran,” Okal told The Media Line. “It was treated as its agent in the Middle East and especially in Palestine, as Hezbollah was seen in Lebanon.” According to Okal, Saudi Arabia and Turkey are attempting to derail Iranian success in the nuclear negotiations and to undermine the country’s wider influence by intervening in Yemen. He added that their claims to be defending the legitimate government of Yemen “could only be believed by the naive.” Now, with the nuclear talks, the Sunni coalition – particularly those countries in the Gulf – fear that the USA is about to ditch its long-standing allies in order to appease their common foe, Iran, at the very moment that the Shi'ite state is on the offensive across the region. A joint effort to contain Iran and its proxies after the 1979 Islamic Revolution was the key reason for the economic, political and military ties that were forged in recent decades by the US and its allies in the Gulf. These ties have been under strain since the thawing of relations between Washington and Tehran, following the election of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in 2013.  “We’ll not raise this issue right now but the US is behaving with double standards that are in these negotiations by the attempts to control Iran’s nuclear program while Israel's nuclear program, which risks security and peace in the region, is not held accountable,” an official in the Palestinian Authority, who asked to remain anonymous told The Media Line. “On the one hand the US is supporting Saudi Arabia against Iranian expansionism in the Gulf,” he said. “On the other hand in Iraq’s war against Islamic State the US has in fact become a partner with Iran, which maintains brutal Shi'ite militias.”

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ISIS 15 Feb 2015, sent out a “Coming Soon” documentary titled “Warning: Message Signed In Blood Coming Soon To ‘Nation Of The Cross’”. It will be as ISIS promised, showing a wave of Christian blood which it has spilt. It is quite horrifying.

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