on "The Roots of Iraq's Rebellion"

Submitted by Vlad (United States), Apr 13, 2004 at 14:38

I would have to disagree with the following statement:

"In a clear pattern of avoidance, the imperial powers ?Britain, France, Holland, and Russia especially ? took control of far-away territories, while carefully avoiding their Muslim neighbors in North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia."

Russia moved forcefully into the Central Asia and the Caucasus. It took them some 80-odd years to conqure the Caucasus but conquer they did. Same is for Central Asia. At the end of the 19th century that region was conquered and what stopped them was not the local resistance but the fact that they started clashing with Great Britain advancing from the south. The area that is today's Afganistan was formed as a buffer and it did not encompass any specific tribe or a state.

And the conquered lands were quite peaceful under the rule of both the Tsar and the Communists.

regards,
-Vlad

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