Makkah Defence Alliance: Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, news & updates

[Master Chief]

Not by Pakistan, we visit them all the time and host them with tea and samosas.

Time to designate them too

Still disagree with this, though i understand the present frustrations with Tehran. Not least because the alternatives are much worse for Pakistani interests.

 

[r3alist]

Watched parts of it. Excellent analysis. Remarkable how many of the comments made echo what many have been saying here in a round-about kind of way. Tough questions asked of the Israeli analyst. And he knows KSA has other options.

And I agree with the chair that it is entirely plausible that a "3 I's" nexus could emerge if regime change in Tehran is successful.

But more importantly, this is a great example of what we have long suspected about Pakistan's role in the middle east. Every single time we have tried to ignore the middle east or KSA specifically (as it is categorcially the most important country there), or taken our eye off the ball, this IMEC project has typified what happens next - there is no benefit to Pakistan and equally, there is no magical improvement in the middle east's posture towards Israel; on the contrary, these countries get pushed into India's and Israel's orbit, and who can blame them!? If Pakistan has hitherto shot itself in the foot, then what can others possibly do for us?

Good work by Islamabad this year but there is so much more to be done! At least our eyes are now focused in the right direction.

Good post, have to remember that risks are also increasing and FM said something about taking risks and daring, which also could make you nervous



Question from Indian, why is turkey so mean to us, Gandhi was pro Muslim too

The Turkish lady had to diplomatically say currently you are not

More seriously, as this is a right ring Pro Israel think tank they did say it's not in America's interest for overlapping blocs to start competing too much, citing India Pakistan which has always been aside from me - that was stated as not in usa interests for that nuclear flare up to coalesce with broader me, which has interesting consequences to India who previously had tacit encouragement to be bold in the region

 

[Master Chief]

Good post, have to remember that risks are also increasing and FM said something about taking risks and daring, which also could make you nervous



Question from Indian, why is turkey so mean to us, Gandhi was pro Muslim too

The Turkish lady had to diplomatically say currently you are not

More seriously, as this is a right ring Pro Israel think tank they did say it's not in America's interest for overlapping blocs to start competing too much, citing India Pakistan which has always been aside from me - that was stated as not in usa interests for that nuclear flare up to coalesce with broader me, which has interesting consequences to India who previously had tacit encouragement to be bold in the region

Definitely this was my reading also. USA may be slowly realising that the region today is not what it was in the 1990s (and the involvement of Pakistan and - whether proactively or reactively - India, is not quite what anyone in the west had planned for). Their capacity to intervene decisively and quickly is more limited now, hence they have less control over the emergence of these blocs than many might otherwise speculate. I think the Mecca Pact was truly a locally derived formula. Certainly USA would have been aware of its emergence so it is not realistic to say they were surprised by it - but I think the region is slowly making it known that it seeks to craft its own solutions.

 

[r3alist]

Definitely this was my reading also. USA may be slowly realising that the region today is not what it was in the 1990s (and the involvement of Pakistan and - whether proactively or reactively - India, is not quite what anyone in the west had planned for). Their capacity to intervene decisively and quickly is more limited now, hence they have less control over the emergence of these blocs than many might otherwise speculate. I think the Mecca Pact was truly a locally derived formula. Certainly USA would have been aware of its emergence so it is not realistic to say they were surprised by it - but I think the region is slowly making it known that it seeks to craft its own solutions.

The Mecca pact members were already functioning like an informal pact

Turkey got involved in the Pak India skirmish FFS, so if that sent them nuts why would a formal pact be less

Saudi is I believe backing kaan financially and both turkey and Saudi see a common Israel threat

The USA doesn't need Israel taking on turkey, it's useful for the usa but they didn't drive what was already there


Azerbaijan is proving to be a curve ball, they are now befriending all Turkey enemies including India, having purchased jf17s, very close with Israel and Iran might need to attack them.

 

[r3alist]

@Master Chief

Not to sound like homework, this one with moeed Yusuf was interesting, I was travelling recently and these popped up in the algorithm, yes I do like a good think tank type discussion

Anyway the main takeaway, to save another watch, Vali Nasr believes Iranian theocracy is on its last legs, it won't renew, people just want normality and not pariah status, they want a breather

Moeed Yusuf ends by clearly saying middle east borders WILL change.

 

[Master Chief]

@Master Chief

Not to sound like homework, this one with moeed Yusuf was interesting, I was travelling recently and these popped up in the algorithm, yes I do like a good think tank type discussion

Anyway the main takeaway, to save another watch, Vali Nasr believes Iranian theocracy is on its last legs, it won't renew, people just want normality and not pariah status, they want a breather

Moeed Yusuf ends by clearly saying middle east borders WILL change.

Homework that builds nations is always a pleasure, never a chore.

I shall give it a look.