The Global Threat: Muslim vs. Muslim War

A new report says that a majority of Americans support the Baker Report’s recommendations on Iraq. “Fifty-seven percent believe Washington should reach out to its adversaries Iran and Syria in an effort to stabilize Iraq. And 61 percent believe Washington should launch a new and sustained effort to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

Apparently the President is not one of them. While Al Qaeda is a tiny fraction of the trouble in Iraq, he wants to focus on them. Killings by Sunni and Shiite extremists are the bigger threat to security. However, Mr. Bush doesn’t want to talk to Syria and Iran even when the fire is getting out of control. This is not a good sign.

Neither is the fact that we have the beginnings of a medieval Muslim vs. Muslim regional conflict beginning to take shape – Sunnis versus Shiites in Lebanon, Iraq, etc. The Saudi Sunnis are adding fuel to the fire by sending money to the Iraq Sunni insurgents. Hezbollah is ready to take over Lebanon. Most of us could not tell the difference between Shiite and Sunni (frankly, they all look the same), but it’s a big deal to them. It’s the same blind ignorance that fed the Catholic vs. Protestant mindless killing in Ireland. But with 1.2 billion Muslims in the world, it could be much a bigger problem.

This could even bring in the Islamic part of Russia into this spreading war and ignite separatist moves by Kurds in Iraq, Turkey and Iran, etc.

Meanwhile, the President seems to be tossing the Baker Report into the trash cam. If so, Iraq could become the flash point for a Muslim on Muslim war that won’t give Israel, the U.S. or anyone any security.