Name:   MrHodja - Subject:   Reading comprehension Date:   9/20/2019 1:36:05 PM

Nothing wrong with my reading comprenhension.

"SO, your post is your declaration that you take the side of IRANIAN muslims??"

ROFL. What religion do you think the SAUDIS observe?"

So the point being made is they are the same relision and that is both true and not true.

An Iranian fighter pilot, Kazem Ayatollahi, was in my section of 12 officers for Squadron Officer School in 1974 and we communicated occasionally after that until the Shah was overthrown.  Never heard from hiom after that and have to assume, since he was a Lt Col at the time and considered a "Shah's man" that he ended up losing his head or worse. 

Another member of our Group was Bandar bin Sultan, a Saudi fighter pilot who was Faisal's nephew and ended up spending a fair amoiunt of time as the Saudi Ambassador to the US (on a lighter note that SOS class was during the oil embargo and Bandar was a bit of a prankster.  At a graduation ceremony partyhe gave the SOS Commandant...a quart of oil).

While they played nice while here as guests of the US and the USAF, there is no doubt that the countries are led by iron fisted despots, one side hiding behind religion, the other behind being "royalty". In conjunction with our relationship with Israel the US is extremely interested in maintaining a balance of power in the Middle East and a loose alliance with the Saudis serves as part of that balancing act.  The last thing we need is a united muslim Middle East exporting their type of "religion" and values to our shores.  We act in our own interest, albeit at times not really wanting to do what we do, just like a fair nuber of posters on this forum who vote for Trump as the "least worst" of the lot.