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Originally Posted by Drake
ZNP,
Your arguments do not align with the facts. Syria does not contribute significantly to the world supply of oil or gas.... oil from Syria contributes one half of one percent to the world supply. A big deal to Syria but not to the rest of the world. Syria ranks 53rd in natural gas production lagging behind notable superpowers such as East Timor, Madagascar, and Equatorial Guinea! Second if oil was the primary enabler of becoming a super power then big oil producers like Saudi Arabia would have become a super power a long time ago. They haven’t. Neither has UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Venezuela, so oil may be a factor but it is not the primary reason superpowers gain their powers. A superpower is one because they can project power. I agree that a bunch of energy is needed in a superpower economy but what is happening in Syria is not related to energy.
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3 words: Charlie Wilson's War. What percent of the world's oil market does Afghanistan contribute? In 1981 I was working for an oil company in Houston. All of the executives were called to Washington for an emergency meeting with Carter. They then returned and I was in a meeting of geologists where we were told that the Whitehouse expected Russia to defeat Afghanistan and then they would have an open door to roll into the Middle East with tanks, etc. At the time we were unable to respond had they done so. Every oil company in the country was preparing for the price of oil to double and to bring currently uneconomic wells on line.
However, "Afghanistan" did defeat Russia. The reality was that the US was fighting that war and it was the US and US technology that defeated Russia. Why was Russia invading Afghanistan? They wanted the oil in the Middle East, not the oil in Afghanistan.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drake
Which brings me to the point bolded above. State sponsored terrorism as an explanation for gassing one owns people is an incoherent strategy for ridding intruders. Especially one that just announced they (the intruders) were leaving! There are different reasons for a state sponsoring terrorism but they all appear to be offensive in nature not defensive, that is they want to strengthen their power, expand it, or advance their ideology. The notion that a state sponsors terrorism against its own people or other people so that they can go back to living a life in peace is also irrational. That would be akin to playing checkers.... rather the game being played is chess.
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One of the key leaders in the Afghanistan resistance was Osama Bin Laden. The CIA sold him on repelling the infidel invaders to his country. But once Russia was defeated we cut him off. He realized he had been played, and like the old saying "hell hath no fury like a Muslim Holy Warrior who has been scorned", well that is how Al Qaeda came to be. Osama played up the "David vs Goliath" victory against Russia as though that was his victory and not the US.
But ISIS is different. They are funded by the "State". Surely not Syria a regime on the verge of collapse, nor by Iran. Instead Russia, through its puppets of Syria and Iran. Do you think after what we did to them in Afghanistan they are going to let us just walk in and take over the oil fields in Iraq?
Iran is Russia's close ally. However, Israel is capable of bombing targets in Iran (remember the nuclear reactor in Iraq they bombed). Having a presence in Syria allows Russia to better defend Iran and supply ISIS.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drake
A biblical explanation is the most compatible with all the facts and with biblical prophecy which is why Israel invariably shows up in the discussion. There is a spiritual battle taking place as shown in Daniel. Much of Islam awaits the hidden imam, the final Mahdi, the one who will bring peace in the Occulation which aligns very well with our understanding of Antichrist and all his doings. Iran, a major state sponsor of terrorism, has no intruders on its land and will always respond to opposition to its aggression with something like “ we will eliminate Israel in 8 minutes” thereby showing the true objective of their going ons. All the conflicts, particularly in and around the Levant, are so that God can gain remaining fruit from Israel at His return according to Zechariah 12:10, Dan 7:13, and Revelation 1:7.
Drake
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Fine, the boundaries of Israel, as stated in the book of Deuteronomy is the Mediterranean to the West, Lebanon to the North and the Tigris Euphrates to the East. That means they were given the entire Arab Peninsula. The only time they could have actually occupied that area was during the time of Solomon. The most striking thing about the reign of Solomon from a historical perspective are the "mines of Solomon". He was running an industrial scale mining operation, with very large smelting and shipping. In some places to make it easier for carts of ore to be moved they laid rails in the ground. The big problem with mining is flooding and you have to continually pump water out. Whether the pump is powered by animals or steam it is essentially the same. It was the need to make steam powered water pumps for mines that ultimately brought in the industrial revolution. The problem is not the idea, we have found little steam powered toys from this period in Greece. The problem is that to build a steam engine requires metal working, machinery and a large organization beyond the scope of an individual. In other words it was right in Solomon's strength. Solomon had the mines, he had the need to use steam power, he was swimming in oil, and his well run government organization was legendary. They had to know that oil was flammable, when they pitched Noah's ark they used pitch, they have to heat it up, no doubt they saw it burn at some point. So, had Solomon not been distracted with his 100 wives, had he not gone to Egypt for horses (which he was strictly forbidden from doing in the Bible) had he not gone to Lebanon for timber (again in violation of God's word) he could have brought about the industrial revolution. An engine that pumps a piston for pumping water can also pump a piston to move a train. Over the next 400 years they could have had trains, concrete and steel frame buildings, roads, cars, etc. When the Babylonians finally show up they would have come crawling on their knees. No Babylonian empire, no Meso-Persian empire, No Greek Empire and no Roman empire. Without the wars Israel would have truly been the city of peace set on a hill. That is also part of the Biblical prophecy.
But, due to sin and disobedience we have taken a different path. Israel, does not have any oil reserves, instead, they are the beachhead for the US and European presence in the Middle East. Oh yeah, another prophecy, Antichrist, Prince of Greece, will set himself up on the throne in Israel.
I did not say that Islamic holy warriors motivation was oil, nor did I say that Jewish return to Israel was motivated by oil. What I said was that the US, Europe, Russia, and China's motivation is oil. That is what will bring the four corners of the Earth to Armageddon. That is why the "four corners of the Earth are bound up at the Tigris Euphrates" -- another Biblical prophecy.
Going back to the key point, Syria claims to have shot down some of our smart bombs. Do you think that could possibly be the result of Syrian technology or isn't it much more likely the result of Russian technology, payback for stinger missiles shooting down their helicopters in Afghanistan.
Also, why is Russia pumping billions into Syria to fight against the US which is pumping billions to fight Syria? Why not just give millions in humanitarian aid and not fight at all? Surely they aren't fighting over control of Syria.
Also, why does Trump warn Russia a few days ahead of time unless it was to prevent this strike from turning into WWIII with Russia.