At The Point of a Bayonet

[Occhidiangela]

The "best" thing would be perhaps be a Shi'ite dictator who restored order and got the infrastructure working. Then in a few generations they could start developing a democracy which functions in accordance with the cultural and religious norms. 2050 could turn out to be interesting<_<

I have to disagree, Assur.

The last thing needed is a Shiite dictator in Iraq, as that adds Iraq to Iran in the Shi'ite revolution within Islam, and against the modern world. At least some Sunni are able to handle modernity, though the Wahabi and some others are singularly reactionary as Sunni. Shi'ite heads in Southern Lebanon killed Marines in Beirut, and did it explicitly due to their attempts to spread that brand of Islam into Non Shia areas.

About 10 % of all Muslims are Shia, most of the rest are of Sunni flavors. Picking the Shia as the good guys, since most Baathists were Sunni in Iraq, was one of many really stupid strategic moves the US made in the summer of 2003. Sadr came home from Iran, openly, and started stirring up trouble about as soon as he got back.

The Shia are not the good guys, nor are they our friends. They are on their own side, and have their own agenda.

The current emboldening of Iran is exactly what I predicted as a probable bad outcomeof our going to Iraq,. The growth of Shia influence plays directly into the hands of the Shia in Iran, whose Islamic Revolution is the real strategic issue in the Mid East, and has been since 1979.

Occhi