Article

2008-06-04 Fifth Column

Another Kennedy School of Gov't 'prof': Why Islam lies at the heart of Iraq's civil war

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Posted by gorb 2008-06-04 04:09|| || Front Page|| [4 views ] Top

#1 Some things she gets right.
The evidence overwhelmingly suggests that the war in Iraq is a religious civil war.

First, nearly half of all ongoing civil wars (46 percent) involve religion in some form. Second, Islam has been involved in more than 80 percent of all religious civil wars. Third, religious civil wars are less likely to end in negotiated settlement. Instead, combatants tend to duke it out until one side achieves victory.

Third, withdrawal before violence has fully ceased will look like failure to most Americans and Britons.

Some things she gets wrong.
The withdrawal of US forces would allow Iraq's predominantly Arab Shiites and Sunnis to find common interest in opposing their two more classical historical adversaries: Kurds and Persians. The longer the US and Britain stay, the more they facilitate a shift away from the identity that long unified Iraq to the religious identity that is tearing it apart and facilitating its manipulation by Iran.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2008-06-04 06:42|| 2008-06-04 06:42|| Front Page Top

#2 What a load of crap. Basically, it's liberals saying "how do we snatch defeat from the jaws of victory?". If the US were to withdraw now, before the victory is complete, the likely end would be more sectarian violence and real civil war as Iran would throw more resources into Iraq. Which in turn would cause the Soddies to throw money (and jihadis) at the problem. She seems to think that Iraq exists in a vaccuum.

Posted by Spot">Spot 2008-06-04 08:23|| 2008-06-04 08:23|| Front Page Top

#3 More Yankees died at Cold Harbor in 1865 in five minutes than we have lost in the entire Afghan-Iraq gig.
Oops, don't let that out.
Actually we have more servicemen killed in automobile/motorcycle and training accidents each year than we lose in the A-I campaigns.
Dang am I starting to sound like a Republican?

Posted by James Carville 2008-06-04 11:18|| 2008-06-04 11:18|| Front Page Top

#4 Cold Harbour...
Good times James, good times.

Posted by AP Hill 2008-06-04 12:00|| 2008-06-04 12:00|| Front Page Top

#5 Well, I guess if we can so quickly forget the victims of 911, there is no reason why we can't forget those shredded and tortured by Saddam.

She did get one thing right - Islam lies at the heart of Iraq's war. Civil or not.

Posted by Sninert Black9312 2008-06-04 17:33|| 2008-06-04 17:33|| Front Page Top

#6 Well, well, MONICA D. from PENN STATE - HAAAVERD YARD is now the Green Beret's JFK School = SpecWar center???

"Would be to LEAVE IRAQ" > 2008-2012 > unless something is done, Dubya's GOP-DEM POTUS successor WILL SEE THE RISE OF A NASCENT/BUDDING ISLAMIST NUCLEAR SUPERSTATE = REGIONAL BLOC INCLUD NUCLEAR JIHAD-TERRORISM, which in LT not even RUSS-CHINA-INDIA, etc. per se may be able to stop or contain.

"LEAVING IRAQ-ME" > means the USA WILL HAD INDIR CONTRIBUTED TO NEW GEOPOL COMPETITOR, potens a SUBSTITUTE for Russ-Chin-India, + PERHAPS EVEN ITS OWN FUTURE DESTRUCTION??? THE KEY TO PRECLUDE THIS OUTCOME WILL BE THE RISE+ ENTRENCHING OF PRO-WESTERN DEMOCRACY IN IRAN + CENTRAL ASIAN MUSLIM STATES, 2008 -2012.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2008-06-04 21:50|| 2008-06-04 21:50|| Front Page Top

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