There is no such thing as nation building.
The Unravelling: High Hopes and Missed Opportunities in Iraq (Hardback) (click here)
This is her article in Politico. (click here)
Then trying to explain the current unrest in the Middle East, from Iraq to Syria to Yemen, American officials often resort to platitudes about Sunni and Shia Muslims fighting each other for “centuries” due to “ancient hatreds.” Not only is this claim historically inaccurate, but it also ignores the unintended consequences that the Iraq War more recently leashed on the region. That war—and the manner in which the United States left it behind in 2011—shifted the balance of power in the region in Iran’s favor. Regional competition, of which Iran’s tension with Saudi Arabia is the main but not only dimension, exacerbated existing fault-lines, with support for extreme sectarian actors, including the Islamic State, turning local grievances over poor governance into proxy wars....
I am not going to change my mind about the current reality. The Arab Coalition is the best outcome to all the countries in the region. They have to resist the influence of Superpowers and the only way to do that is for the development of a coalition of security initiatives.
It was the USA invasion into Iraq that destabilized the region and another USA presence is not going to improve the situation that a coalition would do better.
I believe what Ms. Sky points to in her book is the fact that George W. Bush never bothered to understand the impacts of the USA into Iraq. That is true beyond any other reality. After he was in Iraq he then went, "Oops." to realize there was a power shift taking place and it was contrary to his politics, namely in the direction of Iran.
Iran is a much larger player these days and should be considered as a coalition partner to all other countries and nations of people. It will be necessary for Iran to be involved for stability to return. The region does not need civil wars breaking out along sectarian lines. In the same understanding, Iran should not underestimate the resolve of other regional neighbors to quell over reaching. There is a balance to the region and it needs to return. Peace is a very good idea.
The region has a mutual enemy and that is Daesh. The defeat of this genocidal regime has to take priority. To embark on civil war would only increase the chances of defeat and the spread of Daesh.
If I may?
Iran should not underestimate the importance of this moment in time. The Shi'ites were under threat in Iraq. They have made the most of it to bring about the safety of the people. I am sure Iran has had a hand in that reality.
But, today, there is a greater enemy in Daesh because of the instability in the region. Iran has a the chance of a lifetime to stabilize the region, position Shi'ites into acceptance and end the heinous definition they were given over decades, namely terrorists. It is a time for Shi'ite leaders to bring their flocks into sincere ownership of their own citizenship in the countries where they live.
Iran can prove Shi'ites and other ethnicities can live among each other for the better outcomes for all. There is no room for fear or wrongful ambitions. Iran needs to be the international partner it is capable of providing. Iran can lead to peace for decades to come and perhaps forever.
The Unravelling: High Hopes and Missed Opportunities in Iraq (Hardback) (click here)
This is her article in Politico. (click here)
Then trying to explain the current unrest in the Middle East, from Iraq to Syria to Yemen, American officials often resort to platitudes about Sunni and Shia Muslims fighting each other for “centuries” due to “ancient hatreds.” Not only is this claim historically inaccurate, but it also ignores the unintended consequences that the Iraq War more recently leashed on the region. That war—and the manner in which the United States left it behind in 2011—shifted the balance of power in the region in Iran’s favor. Regional competition, of which Iran’s tension with Saudi Arabia is the main but not only dimension, exacerbated existing fault-lines, with support for extreme sectarian actors, including the Islamic State, turning local grievances over poor governance into proxy wars....
I am not going to change my mind about the current reality. The Arab Coalition is the best outcome to all the countries in the region. They have to resist the influence of Superpowers and the only way to do that is for the development of a coalition of security initiatives.
It was the USA invasion into Iraq that destabilized the region and another USA presence is not going to improve the situation that a coalition would do better.
I believe what Ms. Sky points to in her book is the fact that George W. Bush never bothered to understand the impacts of the USA into Iraq. That is true beyond any other reality. After he was in Iraq he then went, "Oops." to realize there was a power shift taking place and it was contrary to his politics, namely in the direction of Iran.
Iran is a much larger player these days and should be considered as a coalition partner to all other countries and nations of people. It will be necessary for Iran to be involved for stability to return. The region does not need civil wars breaking out along sectarian lines. In the same understanding, Iran should not underestimate the resolve of other regional neighbors to quell over reaching. There is a balance to the region and it needs to return. Peace is a very good idea.
The region has a mutual enemy and that is Daesh. The defeat of this genocidal regime has to take priority. To embark on civil war would only increase the chances of defeat and the spread of Daesh.
If I may?
Iran should not underestimate the importance of this moment in time. The Shi'ites were under threat in Iraq. They have made the most of it to bring about the safety of the people. I am sure Iran has had a hand in that reality.
But, today, there is a greater enemy in Daesh because of the instability in the region. Iran has a the chance of a lifetime to stabilize the region, position Shi'ites into acceptance and end the heinous definition they were given over decades, namely terrorists. It is a time for Shi'ite leaders to bring their flocks into sincere ownership of their own citizenship in the countries where they live.
Iran can prove Shi'ites and other ethnicities can live among each other for the better outcomes for all. There is no room for fear or wrongful ambitions. Iran needs to be the international partner it is capable of providing. Iran can lead to peace for decades to come and perhaps forever.
