Thursday May 10, 2007

I've Been Thinking:

The US Army Spokesperson for Iraq made a fascinating assertion today.
He officially stated that the United States believes that Iran was supporting certain Sunni insurgent groups.
He is right and it is about time the United States understood the situation.

Iran is Shiite.
Sunni insurgents are attacking Iraqi Shiites and Shiite holy places.
Why would Iran give the Sunnis any support?

The answer is Machiavellian.
The answer is: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

The groups that Iran supports are almost unilaterally dedicated to expelling the US from Iraq and the entire region.
It is a goal that most Muslim radicals in the region agree with.
So for the moment, and for the moment only, both sides have decided to put aside theological differences and overlook centuries of tension and unite against a common enemy - the Western non-believer.

Until now, Western logic has missed the greater point and fallen short of understanding the enemy.
The West has been attempting to exploit the differences between Sunnis and Shiites in order to drive a wedge between Muslims.
In truth, the West has unified these Muslim groups.