21022017

Good morning everyone! Russia's growing influence in the ME is showing up more and more, this is a trend we cannot ignore. This KRG prefinanced oil deal between Russia and Kurdistan's Regional Government is an example of this. If we pull out a map and mark the countries where Russia's push is the greatest, we see many of these are the countries Russia lost control of in the 90's.

Russian authorities have worked hard at regaining and establishing oil contracts it lost, due to the U.S. led forces intervening in the area without regard for or working with it. Examples of this are Russia's development of a relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood when it was in control of Egypt, support and backing of Al Assad, and by extending invitations for visits to standing heads of states such as Iraqi Kurdistan President Massoud Barzani ((Note: Barzani's father fled TO the Soviet Union and Barzani spent some of his formative years there). Barzani, may be less secular than we believe him to be.))

We must look at everything as a whole to see the larger picture of what is going on in the area and who is behind it.