All about Oil

[cronus]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-28745990

The US, IS and the conspiracy theory sweeping Lebanon

Is America behind the creation of the Islamic State? The BBC's Suzanne Kianpour, in Beirut, looks at the latest conspiracy theory doing the rounds in Lebanon.

"In the Middle East, conspiracy theories are in our blood," one former Lebanese official said over lunch in a restaurant in central Beirut.

He was referring to the latest talk of the town: the United States is behind the creation of the Islamic State group (formerly known as Isis, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) and Hillary Clinton admitted it in her book "Hard Choices".

As Islamic State (IS) militants advanced into Lebanon last week - spreading terror into the village of Arsal, bordering Syria, and driving hundreds out of their homes - whispers pinned the blame for their actions on the US.

Horrific videos of IS atrocities against Lebanese Armed Forces circulated on the internet. So did the theory that America is behind the existence and emboldening of the group.

To back up their claim, conspiracy theorists online pointed to a powerful piece of "proof": the word of Hillary Clinton - the former US secretary of state widely expected to make a bid for the presidency.

(continued, for a rumour it sounds quite credible - more like a leak to put British sentiment catapulting our troops into another 'merican led mess? BBC owned by MOD)

[rainbow]

Is Arsal a real place?

...sounds made up to me.

[cronus]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsal

Might exist, gotta wiki.

[mistermack]

Oil might be why Obama can't be assed to send in troops.
Why should he care if George Bush and his cronies lose out on the oil contracts that they fiddled?
I think the Saudis are paying for Isis. They are Sunnis, I think, and they have an interest in the price of oil going up.
They are winning on every throw of the dice.

[cronus]

Oil might be why Obama can't be assed to send in troops.
Why should he care if George Bush and his cronies lose out on the oil contracts that they fiddled?
I think the Saudis are paying for Isis. They are Sunnis, I think, and they have an interest in the price of oil going up.
They are winning on every throw of the dice.

Religion is the fifth column in the equation and likely to suck the USA back in with moral obligations and what not. Easier to start a fight than finish one. Religions work on timescales of hundreds of years.

[piscator]

So do nations...

Can't be arsed to clik the link based on Lebanese women's gossip about Iraq and Syria, but there's some little part of me that kind of likes the idea of The Salafists vs The Bandar-log in a no-holds-barred suckmatch to the death, that the US should partner with Russia on this one to provide free airfare for anyone who wants to fight for either side, that... Naa, I shouldn't even think like that...