It Appears Baghdad Will Fall to Al Qaeda Related Group - Islamic State of Iraq and Syria - Dire News for Price of Oil and and for the Civilized World

Commentary by Mark Carolla, Former Defense Diplomat and Analyst. It appears that there is little standing in the way of an Islamic Extremist, not to mention terrorist, capture of Baghdad, or at best a partition of Iraq into sectarian parts - Kurdish, Shiite, and Sunni. For US foreign policy and strategic interests this makes the Ukrainian-Russian ethnic clash look like a Sunday School outing. What could result here is an Islamic extremist Caliphate - the extremists have already threatened to kill staunch American Ally King Abdullah of Jordan. At the very least the price of oil could go sky high. Saudi Arabia could be threatened,and there could be a general Shiite-Sunni conflict ranging from Lebanon and Syria to Iran. Our readers are urged to follow Retired US Air Force Colonel Rick Francona's blog at www.francona.com for up to date informed analysis. Additionally, Mark Carolla, the author of this small piece, in collaboration with Edna Chirico of Green Moose Consulting, LLC is prepared to do an analysis of what this means for Charlotte area business. Edna Chirico's knowledge of the Carolinas infrastructure and economy along with Mark Carolla's three decade plus international security experience can be deployed to help you evaluate your business risk strategy.

Resuming Business As Usual Difficult For Arab Airlines

Resuming Business As Usual Difficult For Arab Airlines

This excellent AviationWeek and Space Technology article spotlights how the darker side of the Arab Spring; the Terrorist and Insurgent Threat in the Maghreb; and Israel-IAEA-Iran Confrontation all loom as factors airlines and the tourist industry must cope with. This linked article doesn't even really explore the Iranian situation in relation to the geography of Dubai and Doha. Political stabilization is imperative for Egypt's tourism economy, and the turmoil in the area can impact the economics of the airline industry, cruise industry and tourism.

Political Risks and Threat Assessments will be of increasing importance for those involved in commerce in and with this area.