is this a real thing that is actually happening?

[Sava]

The UK is a silly place. You guys don't mind Jews living next to you, but are extremely critical of Israel. You guys don't want Muslims living next to you, but have little criticism for Muslim countries.

[kentonio]

The UK is a silly place. You guys don't mind Jews living next to you, but are extremely critical of Israel. You guys don't want Muslims living next to you, but have little criticism for Muslim countries.

Whereas I'm very pro-Israel and also am fine with Muslims. It's almost like not everyone in a country thinks alike.

[molly bloom]

The UK is a silly place. You guys don't mind Jews living next to you, but are extremely critical of Israel. You guys don't want Muslims living next to you, but have little criticism for Muslim countries.

The 'UK' ? When did you carry out what must have been a truly exhaustive survey, Sava ? I say this only because I live a few doors up from an Islamic centre/mosque and have been more than slightly critical of actions of the Israeli state and various Muslim states.

[rah]

You guys usually aren't that touchy. It obvious he was just making a humorous observation based on a few posts and not a scientific survey.

Save your ire for BK

[kentonio]

I thought the showed I was just playing.

[rah]

Ok. I do have no idea what that icon even means.

[The Mad Monk]

Sure you don't.

[Sava]

Ok. I do have no idea what that icon even means.

[regexcellent]

That is literally what Iraq was during the counterinsurgency

The "incubator" was Iran which was sending over totally-not-Iranians to blow people up.

Fundamentally the counterinsurgency problem in Iraq was similar to the one in Afghanistan, where there is a place our troops aren't allowed to go just over the border that terrorists can hang out in. In Afghanistan the problem isn't as bad though because we can bomb away with drones with impunity and the Pakistanis either don't give a **** or are powerless to stop it, depending on which part of their government we're talking about.

[GePap]

The "incubator" was Iran which was sending over totally-not-Iranians to blow people up.

Fundamentally the counterinsurgency problem in Iraq was similar to the one in Afghanistan, where there is a place our troops aren't allowed to go just over the border that terrorists can hang out in. In Afghanistan the problem isn't as bad though because we can bomb away with drones with impunity and the Pakistanis either don't give a **** or are powerless to stop it, depending on which part of their government we're talking about.

Ah, yeah, no. The Iranians supplied weapons and expertise to Shiite militias to use against the US, but the core of the initial insurgency was always made up of ex-Baathists and then Sunni fundamentalists, neither of which were getting a lot of Iranian aid. And those are the folks responsible for the current Sunni insurgency.

[Dr Strangelove]

They're being funded by guess who? Our gallant Saudi allies.

[molly bloom]

They're being funded by guess who? Our gallant Saudi allies.

Hurrah! And another for the Pakistani secret service too !

Friends of decadent Western democracy.

[regexcellent]

They're being funded by guess who? Our gallant Saudi allies.

More like citizens of Saudi Arabia who aren't our allies.

[Uncle Sparky]

People don't exhale in Saudi Arabia without government permission.

[C0ckney]

yes, reg has the winning combination of strong views, complete ignorance and an unwillingness to either learn basic facts, or even think about issues.