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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Who Can Stop Iran and Syria and head off Armageddon?

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Could he come from the Land of the Russian Bear?

As tensions approach the boiling point and the Mideast braces for a possible escalation of the centuries old Arab Israeli conflict, the world is running out of options to stop it.

The United States is incapable because it is firmly aligned behind Israel. The United Nations can do nothing because Russia and China blocked action by the Security Council.

Sanctions have failed to stop Iran and their President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from pursuing their nuclear capability, supposedly for peaceful purposes. At the same time Iran is rapidly developing their missile capability that could deliver nuclear weapons to Israel.

More recently 5 nuclear scientists have been assassinated in Iran, by the Israelis according to Iranian President Ahmadinejad. Several attacks have taken place since on Israeli diplomats in foreign countries by Iran, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

There is no doubt Israel has the determination and firepower to attack the facilities in Iran, they have before. But this time Iran has the ability to respond. No one knows to what extent they have acquired offensive weapons from Russia or China.

What we do know is they have the missile system in place to close down the Straight of Hormuz and thus cut off much of the world's oil supply. The result would cause chaos in the world energy market and the resulting price spike would force the world into another deep recession.

At the same time the people of Syria who have bravely waged a revolution of sorts against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad now face annihilation if a way can't be found to stop Assad from brutally murdering the opposition. Once again the United Nations and United States are helpless in preventing such a catastrophe.

Is it possible that the key to averting disaster in the Middle East, in Syria, Iran and Israel, lies in the only person who can meet with all the sides of the conflicts? That person may be no other than Russian Prime Minister and former President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.

Now in the midst of an aggressive campaign to again become president of Russia, the election is March 4, Putin may be the only person with the ability to head off the potential disasters.

No doubt leaders from throughout the world shiver at the thought of Putin saving the world from disaster. His unorthodox life style and brash brand of leadership has left people fearful, jealous or disgusted. But he could still be the key to opening the door to resolution of the problems that have the world on the brink of war, a much more serious war than Iraq or Afghanistan.

Love him or hate him, Putin has a relationship with every nation involved in these conflicts and can demand the attention of these hardened opponents.

He has brought Russia back from collapse after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Russia is the only country with the natural resources and military power along with the close proximity to impact on the participants.

Russia has economic incentives to be a peace keeper in the Middle East.

Putin seems to rather enjoy the world stage and it has been a while since he was an actor on it.

Putin could use any such success as a springboard to a popular third term as president.

It would help make Russia a more successful host of the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi.

The combination of benefits that could come to Russia and Putin for intervening in the Middle East crisis more than offset any risk of failure. Putin would be a hero and Russia would enjoy considerable economic benefit.

At present, the Russian veto at the United Nations of any action against Syria along with his support and protection for Iran has cooled his relations with the Western World and any effort to solve these crises would put him in favorable light again.

Putin has led Russia since 1999 as President and Prime Minister. He began his career with 17 years in the KGB, then worked his way up through local politics in the St. Petersburg area.

In 1996 he was called to Moscow to oversee the transfer of Soviet Union assets to the new Russian Federation after the fall of Communism and in 1997 President Boris Yeltsin appointed him to his staff, then named him head of the new Russian Intelligence agency the FSB, successor to the KGB.

In 1999 he became prime minister and when Yeltsin unexpectedly resigned as President on December 31, 1999, Putin was named acting President of the Russian Federation. He was elected president on March 26, 2000, the culmination of his meteoric rise through the often hazardous Russian political system.

Survival is in his genes.

Once elected he is credited with bringing political stability, a decade of economic growth, territorial integrity, and a rapid rise in the living standard to the Russian people.

His passion for athletics and physical activities led to Russia becoming the Olympic host for the 2014 winter games.

Is it possible this controversial personality could become the hero the world needs to avert disaster in the Middle East, a disaster that will reverberate around the globe? You never know.

Someone please forward this to the Russian leader or embassy and maybe a miracle of sorts can happen.
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