The Stench

So the Saudis host one of their favorite terrorist children, Ahrar Al-Sham, in Riyadh after telling the lousy Jordanian wimp not to put that group of terrorists on the so-called List of Arab Sunni Terrorist Groups he's supposedly compiling. Al Nusrah Front is deliberately kept off the list, too, as it's also preferred by the Saudis, Qataris, Turks, the Israelis and the warmonger and so-called R2P elements of the U.S. decision-making apparatus. The long-prevailing explanation to the low-information public is that ousting Assad is necessary to get rid of ISIS, ISIL, DAESH. The fact that the so-called coalition didn't have much success against the terrorists fed that notion. Then the Syrian state got some serious help from its friends against the Sunni Wahhabist goons and their various backers who want to destroy the state for their various and well-known reasons amongst those who pay attention.

No matter the aroma of Mo Nayef and Mo Salman, the stench of Bandar bin Sultan wafts widely.

Al Saud play Game of Frogs

Al Saud headmaster say to Al Khalifa frogs, "Jump!"

Al Khalifa frogs say, "How high?"

Al Saud say to convicted war criminal and well-paid mercenary frog leading Sudan, "Jump!"

Al Bashir says, "How high?"

Al Saud say to Al Nahyan, "Join us in demanding frogs jump."

Al Nahyan "Okay, but maybe it would be better if an older, more experienced crown prince operated in the shadows, pulling frog puppet strings."

Al Saud say to Al Sabah, "Join us in demanding frogs jump."

Al Sabah say, "We prefer to mediate frog jumping competition."

Al Saud say to Qatar's Al Thani, "Jump!"

Qataris say, "We ain't frogs."

Time for Regime Change ... in Bahrain

It's my belief that the U.S. may finally lead, may demonstrate zero tolerance of the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf's continued funding or contributions in kind, or blind tolerance of the flow of money, weapons, Captagon, and the bread out of the mouths of babies to the terrorists all over the Middle East and Africa and the sub-continent. The U.S. has laws against the use of banks in financing terrorism. Many banks have been fined and or banned from doing business in the U.S. or Europe because they violated such laws. Currently some big, important countries are forming their own banking systems to get around sanctions and their attendant hypocrisy.

Anybody who pays a bit of attention to international affairs knows these things. We also know that the various terrorist groups rely on other means of support. No point to waste time on these knowns.

An example needs to be made of a player in the Gulf, for the rest of them to take serious notice. I don't know how much Ajman or Um Al Qaiwain are contributing funds or banking access to their citizens to send money to their Sunni brethren fighting in the sovereign states of Iraq and Syria. Since the U.A.E. is a federation, it may be federal money, but in the case of Abu Dhabi, we know there is material support of terrorists. Ditto Dubai, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and ...

Bahrain. Banks. Remember when Bahrain was well on her way to being the banking center of the Gulf but didn't get there? Still, there are a good number of banks established in the Island, connected to the banks in the other Gulf states and the world. I betcha there is plenty of dark money flows through that entrepot to the head-choppers de jour by whatever name, through "charities" of course, and for "humanitarian" purposes.

Time to make an example. Time to shut them down. Time for a radical change in the island, a change that will ensure the rest of the Gulfies shut down their terrorist funding, tell the Saudis and Qatar to tell their clerics to fatwa the end of jihad for which they fatwa'd the beginning, and to fatwa the end of the sectarianism and hate campaigns, and to fatwa the end of blaming Iran for the shamal that blows sand in their eyes.

Time for the U.S. military in Bahrain to send the Saudis and Emiratis -- and whatever other military of the Peninsula Shield forces crossed the bridge or flew into the Shaikh Isa Air Base or arrived in ships to put down the anti-government demonstrations in Bahrain -- time to send them home. We have intelligence that some members of those foreign forces have been plotting to carry out unfriendly actions against the U.S.N. In the current tense atmosphere, we need all of them to leave. Immediately. It's a matter of force protection. Chop chop.

Also, any of the Al-Khalifas and their lackeys who believe they may be held accountable for state crimes against civilian population may want to take their cars and retinue across the bridge as well. He who fears an uninvited helicopter landing in the courtyard of the palace he may be in one night with Wife Number Two, may want to consider such advice. Perhaps he may want to consider such advice the next night when he is in the palace of Wife Number Three, or the next in the palace of Wife Number Four. (Pretty sure Wife Number One no longer receives such visits, but that's just gossip.)

Time to close all the banks in Bahrain that have sent one dinar or any other currency to support the terrorists assaults on sovereign countries. It is well known which banks have been involved. They're done. Swift. Let the other states know they've got a limited time to clean up their acts.

Then time to invite the "other" foreign forces in Bahrain to go home, the mercenaries imported to act with an iron fist against protesters and change the demographic balance of the island. Bahrain can afford their return tickets and severance pay, and the houses and villas they leave behind will find people who've been waiting a long time to live in one and the jobs to support their upkeep.

Then reinstate the political parties and have a fair election for a new house of parliament to take the place of the one which Hamad appointed. Two houses, equal. An elected prime minister, no matter that the confession of the winner will not win the approval on the other side of the bridge.

Matter of fact, that is the point. Representative government is going to come to Bahrain. The U.S. and a coalition of willing friends should immediately implement steps to bring it about. It should be a rousing success. It should be without bloodshed if the dictator and his supporters know what's good for them. They have the option to leave, to cross the bridge, to keep their passports or give them up, or they can stay and face the music. It's a one-time, time-limited offer. Do they trust an independent judiciary to give them the fairness they've denied those who oppose them? Perhaps Najd might be an attractive destination to consider?

While the Al Khalifas are considering relocation, rather quickly it is suggested, it might be worthwhile to inform them of another personal financial matter. Funds derived from the natural wealth of the island and funds derived from corrupt deals made over, say, the past 40 years, which have made their way to foreign banks, will be frozen. Mansions scattered all over Europe, all over the globe, paid for with state money pilfered by the royals, will be seized because the funds to buy them traveled through the banks.

The government of Saudi Arabia does not want its favorite terrorists designated as terrorists in the upcoming Hashemite designation of who is a terrorist. Ditto Qatar. Changing the names of their terrorist groups may have fooled some, particularly those who can't read the Arabic script on those black flags, but they're terrorists and they have no sovereign state. There is a simple solution. All those "fighters" and "rebels" supported by the Saudis should have the option:  die or move to Riyadh. Ditto, Qatar. Ditto, U.A.E. Ditto, Kuwait. That should keep the paymasters busy while there are big changes in a small country, changes which Turki Faisal, Bandar Sultan and Adel Al Jubair and their addled king can huff and puff and threaten to blow down, and Bahrain, with coalition support, of course, can flip them something else to blow.

For instance, the new and elected government of the peaceful and protected islands of Bahrain could, with continued coalition support, of course, announce its intention to rectify a historical wrong, to unify the islands with the historical Bahrain on what is presently considered to be the K.S.A. mainland. It was rumoured the prior threat of such pursuit by unspecified means was sufficient for Bahrain to secure from K.S.A. proceeds from the Abu Safa oil field over the years. Historical Bahrain would include the oil-laden area with a large Shia population, the oil of which belongs to the state. Have some bravura, take Ras Tanura.

The fun could begin soon. Perhaps we need to order some more of those Freedom Donuts. Remember the anxiety they caused the first time we provided hot donuts to a few protesters? Hospitality donuts, truly. That's all it was, but Khawalid spun what many considered a laughable conspiracy theory set forth to distract the gullible, inter alia. More Krispy Kremes than last time, please. We need them for the upcoming holidays and happier times. Freedom Donuts after regime change.

Why The U.S. Navy Moved Aircraft Carrier Out of The Persian Gulf

The Lyft driver who brought me home from the city one night last week had served in the Persian Gulf three times while in the U.S. Navy. We had plenty to talk about for 25 minutes. He told me that the reason we moved the USS Theodore Roosevelt out of the Gulf recently was because of the Russians firing cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea into Syria. He said the U.S. had been caught off guard by the range of those missiles, so the aircraft carriers had to be moved out of their range.

Rubbish, I said. Putin would not send a cruise missile to attack an American aircraft carrier. There are missiles in every country in the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea and so forth, and none would fire away at an aircraft carrier of the strongest navy on the planet.

He asked me to recall the reports that a few of the Russian cruise missiles supposedly failed, fell into Iran. Yes, I heard and read about it, and also read the denials. I saw a couple photos of holes in the ground that looked like they'd been dug by a couple kids playing with shovels. I didn't see remnants of crashed missiles, not one shard. I don't know the truth, but I'm sceptical of Pentagon leaks and claims about it, and anything that comes out of the mouth of Andrea Mitchell or anybody she gives the okay for an appearance on MSNBC to talk about anything relating to the Middle East.

Lyft driver then suggested that the U.S.N., in an abundance of caution, moved the carrier out of the Gulf in case a wayward Russian cruise missile accidentally falls out of the sky right onto the flight deck and kaboom.

I guess he forgot that the U.S. military would shoot that errant bugger down before it got close, but my ride was over at that point and so was out chat.

Then today I read in The New Khalij that a former Lebanese minister and head of a political party -- a man who must have been sleeping for the past few years -- said that Doha would be bombarded with rockets if it joined with the Saudis and Turks, intervening in Syria militarily in support of the terrorists of Ahrar Ash-Sham and other head choppers.

Now there is a reason to move a U.S. aircraft carrier out of the waters of the Persian Gulf. We must watch out for errant Lebanese missiles on their way to Doha.