The End of the Arab Spring - Dark Clouds over the Horizon

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As the world stands helplessly by

What started over a year ago as an effort to overturn dictators and bring freedom to repressed Arab people has stalled recently and in spite of the success in Egypt and Libya in toppling the leaders, one gets the sense not a lot has really changed.

After successful revolutions in Egypt overthrew Muhammad Hosni El Sayed Mubarak and in Libya overthrew Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi it seemed like a ray of hope for the oppressed Arab people in those two neighboring countries.

Yet since the revolutions little in terms of freedom has come to the Arab nations.  In Egypt the military still rules, the same military that served Mubarak, while tribal infighting in Libya has kept any new government from taking control.

In fact, in terms of Middle East peace, the result might worse as Egypt has threatened to terminate their 1979  peace treaty with Israel while electing a majority of Muslim Brotherhood members.  Most recently they have arrested a number of foreign citizens including Americans for trying to undermine the new parliament.

As the Arab Spring moved to Iran and Syria it has met a far different fate.  Both Muslim nations have used violence, and excessive force, to put down the rebel insurgents in spite of threats and sanctions from around the world.  Today a bloodbath is underway in Syria by President Bashar al-Assad to exterminate the thousands of rebels while the world stands helplessly watching.

All of this is an outgrowth of the American invasions of Kuwait and Iraq to stop Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti from capturing the strategic Kuwait oil fields.  Then America invaded Iraq again and Afghanistan after the 9-11 attack on the World Trade Center.

Ten years later we just left Iraq, which has moved ever closer to our bitter enemy Iran, and are trying to unwind the war in Afghanistan as that nation moves ever closer to Iran.

Iran is also backing Syria in denying freedom to the people.  Of all the Middle East nations Iran is the greatest threat to Israel because it is close to developing a nuclear capability, an advantage Israel now holds over all Arab and Muslim nations.

Yet of all the nations of the Middle East most likely to enter a war, Israel and Iran are at the top of the list.  Recently five leading Iranian nuclear scientists were assassinated in Iran, with most fingers pointing at Israel.  No other nation has the intelligence and will to undertake such a mission as the fearless Israelis and their Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In retaliation Israeli diplomats were bombed in several Arab nations though none have been killed yet.  So we have a powder keg ready to explode as time is running out for anyone to stop the nuclear ambitions of Iran, and that anyone is Israel and no one else.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has made it quite clear that the consequences of such an action could result in counter attacks by Iran on Israel or a closing of the Straight of Hormuz, the strategic shipping lifeline for the world's oil supply.

Either action would cripple world economies and threaten to bring many nations into a war in the Middle East, something long feared by the End Times advocates of Armageddon.

At this moment, anything is possible.  Should Israel attack Iran the consequences do not bode well for the Middle East or America, as America is the sole protector of Israel and will be the only defender of that nation should military action result.

Something must happen to stop the escalation of tension in the Middle East between Israel and Iran.  We are helpless and the United Nations is more helpless to intervene.  Action is also desperately needed to stop the bloodbath in Syria.  Once again we are all helpless to stop it.

Is there any way out of this terrible dilemma?  Sometimes the most unexpected person or nation can suddenly be thrust onto the world stage and change the course of history when all else has failed.  Perhaps that time is now.  And perhaps that savior will be a total surprise.

See the next article for a possible peaceful solution.

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