(contents)
Chapter 4: War and Peace in The Middle
East (13)
099 “Dar Al Islam (House of peace)” and “Dar Al
Harb (House of war)” (3/4)
Other countries
could simply be categorized whether ally or enemy. If one country supported
Israel, Arabs regarded that country as enemy. Enemy’s ally was enemy. If one
country opposed against Israel, Arabs regarded that country as ally. Enemy’s
enemy was ally. Ramadan War in 1973 showed the clear evidence. Arab
oil-producing countries (OAPEC) launched their own oil strategy. The country
that supports the Arab regarded as ally and they continued the supply of oil to
that country. But Israeli supporter like United Stated and Netherland were
classified as an enemy of Arabs. OAPEC discontinued the supply of oil to the US
and Nertherland. Japan which was a close ally of US was regarded as enemy of
Arab. Enemy’s ally was enemy. Japan dispatched Vice Prime Minister Miki to the
Middle East in haste expressing that Japan was a friendly country of Arab.
Japan could escape from oil embargo by OAPEC.
The conflicts in the Middle East after the Ramadan
War were not just a simple confrontation. The Iran-Iraq war from 1980 to 1988
was the integrated conflicts with ethnic problem between Persians and Arabs and
Islamic problem between Shiites and Sunnis. The Arab countries unanimously
supported Saddam Hussein of Iraq ruled by Arab Sunnis. But in southern Iraq
there were many Shiites who showed religious royalty rather than ethnicity or
nationality. They were afraid of the dictatorship of Sunni central government. They
had sympathy on Shiites’ Iran.
Saudi Arabia is a Sunni
monarchy country. Iran is a Persian, Shiites and Republic country. Iran is an
enemy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Iraq is an Arab Sunni country. Therefore,
Iraq was an ally of Saudi Arabia though Iraq was republic state. Saudi Arabia
had a contradictory problem. There were many Shiites both in Kingdom’s Eastern
province and in southern region of Iraq. Saddam Hussein was a security risk for
Saudi Arabia because he once insisted to overthrow the Saudi monarchy. But
Saudi Arabia had no choice to support Iraq in Iran-Iraq War.
(To be continued ----)
(From an ordinary citizen in the cloud)
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