Being on the "Terrorist Sponsor" list seems to come with benefits

Submitted by Michael S (United States), Jan 4, 2015 at 04:14

"There, it will join the beautiful company of Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria. (November 28, 2014)"

I notice that the US has taken no effective military action against the above mentioned "state sponsors of terror", saving President Clinton's bombing of some sand dunes and a milk formula company in Sudan in the 1990s. To the contrary, the US has fought wars against all of those terrorist sponsors' enemies:

Cuba: doesn't seem to have any enemies, so they get a pass here. The used to have one enemy, namely, the US; but President Obama has chosen to let bygones be bygones and re-established ties with them (with not a mention of their support of terrorists).

Iran: We knocked out the Taliban (Pakistan's client) in Afghanistan, and supported the Northern Alliance (Iran's traditional client). We invaded Iraq, with whom Iran had fought a decade-long war. During that invasion, Saddam Hussein returned all the land he had won in the war, and gifted the Iranians with several jet fighters and their pilots.

Sudan: Their biggest enemy was probably what is now South Sudan, and its President, Salva Kiir. Just a few days ago, President Obama revoked South Sudan's membership in the preferential trade programme known as the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa). Also, it seems that the Americans are clandestinely working WITH the Sudanese governement, according a leaked document that has members of that government saying,

"We release only limited information to the Americans according to the request and the price is the armed movements file. The coming days carry a lot of surprises," First Lt. General and Defense Minister Abdel Rahim Mohamed Hussein (page 24).

"...On our side we did not disclose anything up to now, instead we want to use this file to blackmail (the Saudis, Emiratis and Egyptians -- from informantion given by the Americans)."

-- http://sudanreeves.org/2014/09/25/looking-directly-into-the-heart-of-darkness-what-the-khartoum-regime-really-thinks-leaked-minutes-of-critical-august-2014-meeting-of-senior-military-and-security-official/

Syria: We are currently bombing the Islamic State, which is Syrian President Bashar al Assad's most powerful enemy, essentially fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with that "state sponsor of terror".

Now, MK Ya'alon is asking Mr. Obama to add Turkey to the list. Is this to punish Turkey? Or to do them a favor? Membership on the coveted list has not done any harm to those on it, and seems to have given them some benefits!

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