Erstwhile Friends

 

Politics outweigh duty to allies.

The days of nations with a history of cooperation as allies has apparently come to a screeching halt. Disagreements on the environment, fair trade, and borders has led to leaders of erstwhile friendly nations to squabble and name call. Leaders of nations react with outrage when they are called out for neglecting their cooperative responsibilities. In politics, rhetoric should never be a cause for ruining long-standing relationships. Donald Trump can be very blunt and antagonistic, but relationships among nations cannot be adversely affected by personally disagreeable discourse. Nations can disagree and negotiate, but personal animosity cannot disrupt alliances or trade. European countries were quick to come to the aid of Denmark, sending a number of troops, after Trump's insistence that the US control this strategically important arctic island.

The Strait of Hormuz is a major shipping route for oil and LNG, with about 20% of the world supply passing through the narrow corridor. The United States receives less than 10% of its oil through the strait. Asian markets rely heavily on that shipping lane for their domestic energy supply. The Israeli/US strikes on Iran have led to a restricted flow of oil and LNG through the strait. The Strait of Hormuz is bordered by Iran on the east and ships have been reluctant to navigate the strait due to threats by Iran to attack ships passing through. President Trump has requested assistance from other countries to secure the Strait of Hormuz to enable the safe passage of oil tankers. The European Union has rejected calls to assist. Other countries that rely upon shipping through the strait have also refused to cooperate, even though it would be in their best interests.

For Europe, unfettered immigration from Muslim countries have left them vulnerable to the now large bloc of Muslim immigrants. These Muslim immigrants refuse to assimilate into their new country’s society and outright reject western culture. Muslim men are violent, committing sexual assaults on the women of the countries that welcomed them in. The governments of these nations are so afraid of the rising Muslim minority that they have enacted “hate speech” laws that prosecute those who call out the violence by Muslims. The perpetrators of Islamic terror in their streets continue without accountability. In other words, most European governments are afraid of the problem they created by welcoming those who reject western culture and harbor distain for those who are not followers of Islam.

What is truly interesting is that the Arab states are lining up to support the US/Israel operations in Iran. These states, which have been in the past, lukewarm to the US presence in the Gulf region and bristled at Israeli retaliatory strikes in the region. The Abraham Accords have reconfigured alliances among the Gulf States and opened productive dialog with Israel, the US, and other western nations. Several of the Gulf States have even expressed a desire to join in on the attacks on Iran, as they have been targeted with unprovoked missile attacks by the Iranian regime.

With the ICBM attack on the US military base in Diego Garcia, 4000 KM from Iran, many European capitals finally realize that they are within range of the Iranian regime, who care not who they attack. This has finally awakened the EU to the threat that this rouge regime poses to those who had refused previous calls from the US to assist and caused them to reconsider their position. The Iranian regime is a radical death cult, lashing out at any nation without regard to consequences. The Islamist clerics that rule are ruthless in their drive to maintain power as evidenced by the regime killing over 30,000 of their own people for engaging in anti-regime protests. This regime must fall to bring stability to the region and the world. Their military must be decimated. Their ability to manufacture weapons must be obliterated. Their designs on obtaining a nuclear weapon must be prevented, permanently, as they would not hesitate to use them.

Israel’s Operation “Roaring Lion” in conjunction with the US “Epic Fury,” looks to degrade the Iranian Regime to the point that Iran’s citizens will rise up and drive the Islamist extremists out of power. Israeli precision airstrikes have wiped out dozens of the regime’s military and clerical leaders. Iranians have been brutalized by these religious fanatics for over 47 years. Perhaps payback is in the cards. But whoever is now leading this oppressive regime refuses to surrender, lashing out indiscriminately at any country within reach of whatever weaponry they still possess.

The “global elite” in the EU need to realize just how important it is to support their allies, particularly the US. NATO would cease to exist and would be firmly in the crosshairs of Putin’s Russian army, as many of those nations barely maintain a semblance of an army. When your livelihood is imperiled by a rouge nation like Iran, it makes sense to support your friends in arms. The US request was not for our allies to engage in the actual conflict or to provide weaponry, just assistance with keeping the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping. Which should be a no-brainer as Europe gets a substantial amount of their energy needs from the Gulf States.

Friends support one another. Friends do not deny their friends. Friends uphold their obligations, especially if that friend holds the key to their security.