Steele, I think the present Jemeni troubles can be laid at the feet of
Iran and Saudi Arabia. Not many would dispute that.

As far as cousin marriage is concerned a couple of thousand years of
that practise has damaged their genome with such intense inbreeding.
Ref NSW Health Dept & UK Midlands Heath Service House of Commons report.
30% genetic defects according to some reports is pretty severe.
Not as bad as Pakistan with a 70% cousin marriage rate.
It affects not only intelligence but also behaviour problems.
I do not think anyone can argue that Arabs do not have a behaviour problem.
Just show them a cartoon of Mohammad !

Loudmouth,

"But I'm puzzled about your writing-off of the Kurds."

I haven't written them off. You've decided that the US pull back will endanger the Kurds, based on, I have to say, very little evidence other than anti-Trump talking points.

I don't think the Kurds are in any more danger today than yesterday. I've already pointed out that the Saudis and UAE have moved troops into the region (which explains why Erdogan used the Kashoghi murder for political purposes). It's also been reported in Israel that Trump has warned Erdogan off moving against the Kurds. Also Iraqi elite troops (such as they are) are moving up to the boarder to keep an eye on Assad and ISIS.

Remember that there were only 2000 US personnel there which made them more of a trip-wire than a physical deterrent - although that was more than enough to give the Russians a bloody nose as required). The Kurds primarily rely on the US for supplies and armaments and there's no indication that will change.

Let me ask this: if the US must stay for the good of the Kurds, Yazidi, Syrian opposition etc, when could they ever leave. The Kurdsh problem won't be solved any time soon. The US would be there indefinitely. That's not Trump's plan. America First. The sons and daughters of the US homeland aren't going to be sacrificed any longer in failed foreign adventures.

I suspect most people's real problem is that its that warmonger Trump whose doing the peace-making and the answer to the question "When should they pull out" is 20 seconds after a Democrat gets the White House.

As to the question of who's to blame for the problems in the M-E, I blame the Sea Peoples. The Hittites,Assyrians Egyptians and Mycenaeans had things bumping along pretty nicely before the Sea People turned up. Likewise some of the blame can be slated to Alexander,son of Philip. Darius III had things totally under control before he decided to get involved.

Who will defend us against a rising China
Belly,
The USA & Russia will,
Economic geniuses & industrial greed mongers have handed all our commodity manufacturing & vital info over to outside countries, mainly China & now they're getting jittery.
Even our main communications outfit sees fit to have all our internet settings at the fingertips of Asian countries just because of greedy shareholders who are made up of many ordinary Australians who are more concerned about profit than the nation's economic well-being & security. Wage demands in non-revenue sectors are the nucleus for recession.
What on Earth do people expect a Govt to do with citizens like that ?

indy you need to look at Russia, it is far more likely to join China against us than any thing
Forget America
Currently they are isolationist
No country can trust them
It will take ten years post Trump to just get back to the place he took them from

Russia, it is far more likely to join China against us than any thing
Belly,
Something tells me Eagle & the bear will gang up on the dragon.

Russia and China are friendly to each other for one major reason America.

The more America pushes them the closer they are getting, if America stops pushing them they will go back to the way they were which is not friends they used to tolerate each other but did not trust each other.

China used to be very predictable prior to President Xi Jinping being elected, now not so easy.