Abdel Bari Atwan

Just finished a very depressing book by a Mr. Atwan, called 'Islamic State' and brought to my attention by the NYRB. For some reason, the most depressing book I have read for a long time.

In a short, easy read and sometimes glib book, he paints an uncomfortable picture of the Muslim world of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond.

Salafist Muslims on a roll, taking over huge tracts of land in Syria and Iraq and making lots of trouble in lots of other places. All of whom seem to be signed up for the sort of intolerant, unpleasant & violent religion which the Christians of Western Europe grew out of more than 300 years ago. Not that that stops them taking full advantage of the material benefits the west can offer: computers, guns and medicines to name but a few.

The lands in question having mostly been in the grip of dictators who might have started out with good intentions, but who mostly ended up greedy, corrupt and violent. Not to mention incompetent and inefficient. Sitting ducks for chaps with charisma who promise both heaven and heaven on earth.

With the often clumsy and destructive interventions of the west making things even worse. Not to mention our failure to broker a decent solution to the problems of Palestine and the Palestinians.

I wonder what will happen if and when the Salafists get the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in their sights. Maybe it is just as well that the US can crank up its fracking operations in fairly short order if the price is right. Maybe we should be cranking back up our nuclear (power) options, before the necessary engineering expertise withers on our vine. Maybe we are going to have to crank the 2% for defence mentioned at reference 2 up to 3%.

I also wonder what Mr. Atwan has to do to get the sort of access which he does. How long is his spoon? See reference 1.

Lastly, a thought nearer home. All this trouble is mostly fueled by angry young men with no jobs, no money and no prospects. More or less nothing to lose. We here in the UK should pay more attention to the distribution of wealth in our presently green and happy land.

Reference 1: http://www.bariatwan.com/. The translate option offered on-site did not work but google stepped into the breach and did it instead.

Reference 2: http://psmv2.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/brainstorm.html.