Good news to those lucky few who are not Muslims in Iraq.

Australia's own national security statesman (NSN) Tony Abbott has decreed:

"Australia to offer refugee visas to Iraqi Christians and Yazidis" http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-14/australia-to-offer-visas-to-iraqi-christians-and-yazidis/5670148

Before they are eligible - it is believed that they must first attend at least twenty Tony Abbott Ukraine remembrance ceremonies.

This replication of Iraq's sectarian mix in Australia assures Australia's security agencies of jobs growth for the next 50 years.

@ Spindoc. I claim no monopoly on truth or history. I like to think that when an issue arises it is capable of being resolved on the basis of evidence. Gather the evidence, formulate an explanation, test it against further evidence, modify the explanation and so on. It's not rocket science. It's called the scientific method. You are as well aware as I am that articles are written on this site and elsewhere that push a particular line, with a general disregard for evidence. David Singer is a particularly egregious example, but he is not unique.

One of my principal objections to the present article is that it ignores large swathes of relevant Ukrainian history, particularly post the Bolshevik Revolution. That is consistent with the treatment of the msm who prefer to ignore the historical facts relating to Crimea for example; or the US role in the fascist coup of February 2014; or the appalling slaughter of Russian speaking Ukrainians in the Donetsk region. It seems to Abbott and his ilk one should draw distinctions between atrocities done by those whom they currently support ,and those whom they currently oppose. The posturing and misinformation about the shooting down of MH17 is illustrative of our moral and intellectual bankruptcy on a number of levels.

@ Pete. I understand that the Yazidis are a particular branch of Islam who for the most part minded their own business. They are victims of the geopolitics of the region and deserve sanctuary. Making their move to Australia contingent on listening to Tony Abbott 20 times might just constitute cruel and unusual punishment.

Hi spindoc

I know you have good intentions but oil and the opportunity to dominate an oil-land is probably the strongest factor in US Iraq policy. The Kurds of Iraq that the US is selectively assisting are also the closest thing to local allies the US (and Israel) have in Iraq.

Kurdish Iraqi oil is also high grade and VASTLY CHEAPER than the gas the US extracts in the continental US.

The US Middle Eastern oil policy is also a spoiling action to limit Chinese access to ME oil thereby limiting the economic-military growth of China.

It is no coincidence that Chine Oil Inc was flourishing in Libya but then the US-NATO airstrike-invasion of oil-rich Libya (2011) ejected the Chinese from that country http://www.globalresearch.ca/nato-s-war-on-libya-is-directed-against-china-africom-and-the-threat-to-china-s-national-energy-security/26763
--

James O'Neill

Your understanding that "the Yazidis are a particular branch of Islam" is only part right and doesn't rule out their minority status or ISIS oppression of them.

"According to some sources their religion is linked to ancient Zoroastrianism and Sufism while other sources view their religion as a combination of Shia and Sufi Islam with indigenous regional folk traditions." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yazidis

You will note that many consider the Kurds as Sunni Muslims but many Sunni Muslims, particularly ISIS, don't see it that way.

As to my Iraq article not covering Ukraine enough - your Putinesque view of world affairs might be frustrated but no doubt you agree with much in my recent Ukraine article "Ukraine: can anything save it?" http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=16286

Regards

Pete

@ James O’Neill,

You know from my posting history that I support the rational analysis approach you describe however, and perhaps I should have been a little clearer, my comment was directed to your following three paragraphs which IMHO, are borderline CT’s of dubious factual value.

That said I fully support your comments in relation to the shallowness and imbalance of so many articles presented on OLO. That’s one for GY I guess.

@ plantagenet,

I agree that there was a fairly recent time when all the oil issues you raise were valid. Geo-politics, energy mixes and suppliers have changed dramatically in the last five years. If you still think they are as relevant you might like to explain the following?

“Fighting across Iraq, Libya, Ukraine and Gaza, and an accelerating economy, should mean higher oil prices. Yet crude is falling. Six years ago, oil soared to a record $147 a barrel as tension mounted over Iran’s nuclear program and the world economy had just seen the strongest period of sustained growth since the 1970s. Now, West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark price, has traded below $100 for 10 days and Brent, the European equivalent, tumbled to a 13-month low yesterday. What’s changed is the shale fracking boom. The U.S. is pumping the most oil in 27 years, adding more than 3 million barrels of daily supply since 2008. --Lynn Doan, Grant Smith and Moming Zhou, Bloomberg, 13 August 2014

spindoc

It shows both our contentions are correct rather than contradictory:

The US, which is not the only oil consumer in the world, is pumping out more oil and gas than it did 6 years ago. The price of oil is dependent on many things including increasing Russian and US alternate sources to Middle East (ME) oil.

Importantly the US also protects ME oil for its European allies (and Australia) who heavily rely on ME oil. Hence US involvement in Libya in 2011 - Libya being a major supplier to Europe.

The US also wishes to prevent excessive Chinese and Russian control of ME oil.

The US successfully uses its defence force as a foreign policy and economic tool with Iraqi and Saudi oil being a (or even the) major issue.

Cheers

Pete