re: #35 tradewind

Here’s the problem: Historically, US policy in the Middle East has been to treat all Arab statements as posturing, saber rattling, and the like. This is a dangerous misconception that should’ve been made crystal clear by the 1967 Six-Day War at the least. Saying you are going to push the Jews into the sea, then preparing to launch a united pan-Arab offensive to do just that, should be a pretty doggone good indicator that when you say something, you mean it. The US has never taken the Arab world (or the Persians, who are not Arabs but are currently under Muslim rule and operating in concert with them) seriously enough.