Comments on: Interesting Piece on Iraq http://middleeast.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/03/19/interesting-piece-on-iraq/ The World Affairs Blog Network Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:13:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Simmons http://middleeast.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/03/19/interesting-piece-on-iraq/comment-page-1/#comment-718 Simmons Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:36:24 +0000 http://middleeast.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/03/19/interesting-piece-on-iraq/#comment-718 Not everything we're doing in Iraq is hold off the Iranians. It's also to create stable, somewhat friendly democratic government there. Not everything we’re doing in Iraq is hold off the Iranians. It's also to create stable, somewhat friendly democratic government there.

]]> By: Daniel J. Graeber http://middleeast.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/03/19/interesting-piece-on-iraq/comment-page-1/#comment-714 Daniel J. Graeber Thu, 20 Mar 2008 20:11:03 +0000 http://middleeast.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/03/19/interesting-piece-on-iraq/#comment-714 Then why prop up the Maliki government? Or listen to Chalabi? Or let Sadr stay alive? Then why prop up the Maliki government? Or listen to Chalabi? Or let Sadr stay alive?

]]> By: Simmons http://middleeast.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/03/19/interesting-piece-on-iraq/comment-page-1/#comment-707 Simmons Wed, 19 Mar 2008 23:46:03 +0000 http://middleeast.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/03/19/interesting-piece-on-iraq/#comment-707 I had Graeber's way of thinking until last week. Then I had a realization: what if the danger of arming the Sunnis was intentional? Why would anyone in their right mind do that, you may (rightfully) ask. Well, who is the United State's number one rival in the Middle East right now? Shiite Iran. Emphasis on the whole Shiite part. Armed Sunni militias would make Iran's goal of puppeteering Iraq much, much harder for obvious reasons. Not only that, but Iran really, really, really does not want to see the Sunnis rise up again in Iraq. The Iraq-Iran war in the 1980s resulted in the deaths of up to a million of the youngest and brightest Iranian men. Now, I'm not suggesting that Iraq would enter another conflict with Iraq, but this is still scary stuff for Iran. Was this the Bush Administration's intention? I have no way to know. All I know is that this is one of the consequences that we are going to have to deal with in the coming years. Of course, there are still the many dangerous consequences Graeber mentions. For example, he and I both noticed the frightening similarities between our arming of Sunni militias now and our arming of the Afghani mujahedin during the Cold War. I had Graeber's way of thinking until last week. Then I had a realization: what if the danger of arming the Sunnis was intentional? Why would anyone in their right mind do that, you may (rightfully) ask. Well, who is the United State's number one rival in the Middle East right now? Shiite Iran. Emphasis on the whole Shiite part.

Armed Sunni militias would make Iran's goal of puppeteering Iraq much, much harder for obvious reasons.

Not only that, but Iran really, really, really does not want to see the Sunnis rise up again in Iraq. The Iraq-Iran war in the 1980s resulted in the deaths of up to a million of the youngest and brightest Iranian men. Now, I’m not suggesting that Iraq would enter another conflict with Iraq, but this is still scary stuff for Iran.

Was this the Bush Administration's intention? I have no way to know. All I know is that this is one of the consequences that we are going to have to deal with in the coming years.

Of course, there are still the many dangerous consequences Graeber mentions. For example, he and I both noticed the frightening similarities between our arming of Sunni militias now and our arming of the Afghani mujahedin during the Cold War.

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