The Syrian civil war was never about democracy or human rights. It was a geopolitical power play pure and simple, a way for Riyadh to deprive its arch-rival Iran of an important ally in Syria. It appears that nowadays everyone is aware of this fact except for President Obama. The United States has indirectly enabled these regional games up until now, partially out of deference to an old, oil-rich ally in Saudi Arabia and partially owing to its own tumultuous history with revolutionary Iran. But the rise of ISIS has laid bare the dangers of such an approach. If Washington wants a stable Middle East without committing any troops to the region on a permanent basis, it’s going to need to stop pretending that Iran doesn’t exist, and start being realistic about the prospects for healthy democracies operating over top a historical minefield of sectarian tension.
Posted on: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 18:22:17 +0000
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