[March 29, 2016] Neither the Western countries nor the United States has a strategy for how they will work with Islamic nations economically, diplomatically, or militarily. No Western leader has yet to make a serious attempt to place into context the problems that continue to grow there and threatens their own nation states. No one should be surprised, at this point in time, that most national leaders have taken their “eyes” off Iraq.
I’m told all the time … “nobody cares about Iraq.” This is both the sentiment of the average person on the street and of the politicians I speak to. Very few citizens of the U.S. seem to care what happens there and this attitude is reflected in our political leaders. Iraq, similar to Vietnam, has been demonized as a faraway place of little value, either its people or its government. In this, our leaders have shown little moral courage while they’ve also shown a great distain for many good peoples.
Iraq is just one of many countries in the Middle East where Muslims practice their religion and although most want to live with honor, but peace is not to be. While other religions exist in the Middle East, many are facing stiff penalties for running afoul of the teachings of the Islamic Koran. Iraq is theoretically a secular country but is dominated by the Shia religious sect of Islam and the current administration is tribal in its governance.
Iraq is ground-zero for the conflict and has been for generations. Between the countries of Iraq and Iran, tens of thousands have died and many more suffered because of the religious disagreements. The U.S. strategy should be, in part, neutral in the conflict between Shia and Sunni but the President Obama has placed his current policy on the side of the Shia. What happens in Iraq is reflected elsewhere.
Like some Middle Eastern governments, Iraq’s governance is fraught with corruption and sectarianism. This has made U.S. policies at risk of failure both in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East. This is where Western leadership must be applied evenhandedly and fairly. And, the threats from the region must be taken seriously. None of this is happening.
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