Thursday, January 4, 2024

The Peace on The Horizon - 75 Years after The World War 2 in the Middle East (99)

 

(Japanese Version)

(Arabic Version)

 

(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 ----)

 

 

Areha Kazuya

(From an ordinary citizen in the cloud)

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