Iraq: The King Speaks

This is an excellent article that points out that the major problem in Iraq is corruption, with sectarian strife and revenge killings running close behind. Corruption is hard to break where it has always existed, so it is taking a while. However, the Arab fears of the emerging Persian threat are well founded and are forcing the Arabs to unite despite themselves. This might bode well for the future of the Middle East, which has not seen peace in the memories of any historian that I know. Maybe this aggressive Iran is just what is needed, even though it will have a very high cost in human bodies. I will pray for them.

Iraq: The King Speaks: "A major reason for the crackdown in Baghdad was to halt the retaliation attacks against the Sunni Arabs. This violence was driving far more Sunnis out of the country, than it was killing. Whole neighborhoods have been depopulated. Shia Arabs are slowly moving in, taking over abandoned homes, but fearful that the long-feared Sunni might return. Most Sunni Arabs know that they won't be returning any time soon. The hate is too recent and too strong. Saddam ran a very successful police state, which means he ran up a pretty hefty body count. Those bodies had kinfolk who now burn for revenge.

The corruption also extends to foreign affairs. Saudi Arabia and Iran are in a bidding contest for the loyalty of Iraq. While run by a Shia majority, Iraqi Shia are all Arab, and share the Arab distrust of Iran. The Sunni Arab nations have shown more willingness to keep terrorists out of Iraq. The Shia majority government in Iraq feels threatened by the Iranian backed terrorist groups. While these terrorists maintain some popularity by killing Sunni Arabs, the government has them vastly outnumbered by soldiers and police. While Iranian money can buy some cops and soldiers, it can't buy enough of them to overthrow the government, or save the pro-Iran Shia militias. Iraq appears ready to become more of an Arab, than Shia, country."