I see 9/11 season has started early this year.

[minestrone]

Channel 4 is already into its second night of programs and we have more than a week to go. Their 9 o'clock 9/11 show is repeated tomorrow at 11.

[MarillionFan]

Are you talking about 11/9???

[Paddy]

Are you talking about 11/9???

no, nine shillings and eleven pence

[amcdonald]

Ironic to think that Obama wanted to support Al Qaeda in Syria hardly causes a ripple in American politics

12 years is obviously a long time for yanks

[Dominic Connor]

Ironic to think that Obama wanted to support Al Qaeda in Syria hardly causes a ripple in American politics 12 years is obviously a long time for yanks

In some ways Al-Q ending up on top of Syria is probably the best scenario for the US.

It seems increasingly unlikely that any group that we might plausibly call friendly will win, indeed the country may fragment or the war drag on for a decade or more, look at Lebanon.

An unstable regime will fear its own people more than it fears a few cruise missiles and once the current regime breaks down, so does control of the chemical weapons, we could easily end up with lots of groups each with some nasties and even with only two main sides it is hard to really know who used them but when there are 10 ?

Some may try to sell them and in my view the sort of person who buys Sarin gas that fell off the back of a lorry is not who I'd like to have them.

Or they may lob them at Israel, who will nuke them back. These are Russian bits of kit, therefore reasonably reliable and stable and relatively small. How hard to sneak one into NY or London ?

A clear victory by people that the Americans can point at and say "bad" allows them politically to go in and trash the place by bombing. Peacekeeping hasn't worked too well recently, but area bombing is something they can do well.

Around the central core of nutters are floaters who could be convinced that an AlQ Caliphate would be a good idea, if the first one got bombed flat and poisoned by its own weapons, that might be seen as a deterrent.

The worst case for the US is something like Egypt, where the regime oscillates between elements it likes and hates, since that makes the politics more complex and risky for politicians.

Even the maddest countries like Iran, know there is a boundary that if they cross will mean they will get their own special episode of Horrible Histories, groups might convince themselves they can get away with it or not care if they get nuked.

[EternalOptimist]

I'm not convinced Des.
I can think of eighteen scenarios that are better for the USA than Al quaeda taking over in Syria.
make that 19. I just thought of another

[Bunk]

no, nine shillings and eleven pence

Don't be silly, he's talking about a slightly lazy convenience store, 9-Eleven

[Ticktock]

Don't be silly, he's talking about a slightly lazy convenience store, 9-Eleven

Are you sure it's not Jimmy Carr's sequel to 8 Out of 10 Cats?

[amcdonald]

Are you sure it's not Jimmy Carr's sequel to 8 Out of 10 Cats?

9-11

Nah that's more Rolf Harris interest surely

[EternalOptimist]

9-11

Nah that's more Rolf Harris interest surely

everyone knows Rolf was more interested in 27 year olds