Informed Comment

Thoughts on the Middle East, History, and Religion

Juan Cole is President of the Global Americana Institute

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Rubin: Proposal on Narcotics in Afghanistan

Barnett Rubin has just posted another entry in his brilliant series on counter-narcotics in Afghanistan.

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posted by Juan Cole @ 8/28/2007 10:18:00 AM

1 Comments:

At 10:41 PM, Blogger Arnold Evans said...

OT: Iran and Saudi Arabia

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20484777/

Earlier in the day, Mr Ahmadi-Nejad said US influence in Iraq was "collapsing rapidly". "Soon, we will see a huge power vacuum in the region," he said. "With the help of neighbours and regional friends like Saudi Arabia, we are ready to fill up this vacuum to the benefit of regional nations and Iraq."

The headline was "power vacuum" but "help of regional friends like Saudi Arabia" has to strike at least somebody as interesting.

Iran obviously does not want, or see a need for a conflict with the Saudis, which is further evidenced by Iran's offer to help any Muslim state (presumably including the Saudis) develop a nuclear fuel cycle.

I think the narrative of an essential conflict between Sunnis and Shiites or between Saudi Arabia and Iran has strong elements of wishful thinking.

What would the president of Iran have to say, what would the Saudis have to do to prove that narrative wrong?

 

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