In general, the United States should support Saudi Arabia in resisting Iran’s encroachments in the region, but it should not take sides in the broader sectarian struggle. This is someone else’s civil war.
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The United States Shouldn’t Take Sides in the Sunni-Shiite Struggle
Posted January 8th, 2016 at 12:51 pm (UTC-4)
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War on ISIL Far From Over
Posted January 4th, 2016 at 1:28 pm (UTC-4)
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As critical as the military dimension is, though, what’s even more important in Iraq is the politics: If the Iraqis can’t temper the internal struggle between Sunnis and Shiites, military victories could be undermined by sectarian strife.
It is Time for Muslims to Begin a Deep Self-examination
Posted December 31st, 2015 at 11:04 am (UTC-4)
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[Ghassan] Charbel called for shutting down platforms of hate and said the Middle East needs to undertake “a deep re-examination” of its society. … ‘What threatens the Arab and Islamic world today,” he said, “is no less dangerous than the threat that Nazism posed to Europe.’
2015 in Review
Posted December 30th, 2015 at 2:12 pm (UTC-4)
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As 2015’s final minutes tick away, it’s gives us a chance to look into the mirror to see what we are leaving behind. Many philosophers have noted that history tends to repeat itself. Terrorism. Gun violence. Racial tensions. Religious differences. Politics. The environment. So we reflect on the events and trends of 2015 in hopes of identifying patterns, learning from the mistakes of the past and building on its successes to take on many of the same challenges in 2016.
The Measure of Progress Against Islamic State
Posted December 30th, 2015 at 11:01 am (UTC-4)
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[T]he Ramadi victory hints at progress for Iraq in the healing of old divisions. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the victory on television by noting the cooperation of “different affiliations and religions and sects” among various Iraqi forces (Sunni, Shiite, and tribal). He said Sunni police forces will now patrol the mainly Sunni city …
Sharing Christmas with the Kurds
Posted December 24th, 2015 at 10:59 am (UTC-4)
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“When I was a child the Muslims and Christians celebrated each other’s holidays. My mother put up a tree for me and my Christian friends. Most of my teachers were Christians, so were many of my classmates. We didn’t know the difference. …”
Christian Arabs Under Siege
Posted December 24th, 2015 at 7:55 am (UTC-4)
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The ethnic cleansing of Mideast Christians – especially by ISIS in Iraq, but also by other Islamist jihadis elsewhere – is so intense that it demands special attention. When it comes to admitting refugees, that level of persecution cannot be ignored.
Why Europe, Not America, Should Fight ISIL
Posted December 23rd, 2015 at 3:12 pm (UTC-4)
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[E]ven when there are legitimate moral issues, there cannot be a duty for the United States to go to war simply because other powerful states fail to perform their moral duties. As in the case of national security, there should be no moral “free riders.”.
How Saddam Hussein Gave Us ISIS
Posted December 23rd, 2015 at 2:59 pm (UTC-4)
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Whom should we blame for the Islamic State? In the debate about its origins, many have concluded that it arose from the American-led coalition’s errors after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In fact, the groundwork for the emergence of the militant jihadist group was laid many years earlier by the government of Saddam Hussein.
The Army We Have. The Army We Need.
Posted December 22nd, 2015 at 3:12 pm (UTC-4)
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Most of those running for president say more must be done to defeat ISIS. And more usually equals more military might. In the United States, military service is a choice, not a requirement. While all men must register with the Selective Service System at age 18, there has not been a military draft in 42 years. But that has not stopped some from suggesting its return, for reasons ranging from raising the competency level of the military to improving the country’s social fabric. Many argue that compulsory service would make politicians think twice about going to war. Does the U.S. has the military it needs? And what are the needs of the military it has?
Lindsey Graham’s Exit & What to do About ISIS
Posted December 21st, 2015 at 4:43 pm (UTC-4)
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Lindsey Graham was the only presidential candidate who advocated for sending tens of thousands of United States ground troops to Syria and Iraq to defeat Islamic State. Graham, a republican senator from South Carolina, exited the 2016 presidential race today. While he disagrees with Graham’s proposal, President Obama praised him for being “honest about suggesting ‘here is something I would do that the president is not doing.’ In an interview with National Public Radio, Obama said calls for carpet-bombing “would have an enormous backlash against the United States” if tens or hundreds of thousands of innocent Syrians and Iraqis are killed in the process. He also said deployment of tens of thousands of troops would result in an indefinite period of governing. So what will work? And what will not?
How to Defeat ISIS
[S]tressing repeatedly what the United States is not going to do … signals to friends and opponents that the president is not serious about defeating ISIS. Limiting the means in any specific military engagement gives the impression that avoiding costs or commitments, rather than the mission one set out to accomplish, is the highest priority.