Hence The Caliphate

Everyone seems to have an opinion about the happenings in the Mid East and what should be done. So I guess I might as well express mine. I suspect that my opinions are just as good as most of the tripe that is being floated around out there.

I see a lot of former military on TV expressing their thoughts on the world situation to various news and opinion show hosts. While I respect those retired warriors for their service, I fear that they see a military solution to most problems. I cannot support any plan that puts American blood or wealth in danger at this time, especially in Iraq. We were there at enormous cost. We had control and the potential to build a democracy. We threw it away. The powers that be, in Iraq, may try to use us, but they don't really want us. In that part of the world, we are the kaffir. We are the infidel. We shall always be. Never forget that.

But we do not stand alone as infidel. To the Sunni, the Shia are infidel. To the Shia, the Sunni are infidel. They will never love or trust one another.  But, they will always love and trust us, less. Iraq was split between Sunni and Shia. Saddam Hussein was a Sunni tyrant. He and his government repressed the Shia.  When Nouri al Maliki took over as a Shia Prime Minister, he repressed the Sunni. But al Maliki didn't have the power and the control that Hussein had so the Iraqi Sunni organized against him, along with Syrian Sunni. They brought the world ISIS and the renewed dream of the Muslim Caliphate.

So it lays out like this. You have Shia Iran on one side. You have ISIS in the middle and growing. You have a wobbly Iraqi Shia on the other side with a Syrian civil war at their back. Off to one end you have Pakistan which is both Sunni and nuclear. Also, you have a nervous Saudi Arabia that is rich, Wahabi, and doesn't trust anybody except Saudis. You have probably figured out where I am going here.

The Mid East is a rat's nest of angry murderous sectarians whose holy scripts approve any behavior in the furtherance of Islam. They have stockpiles of money and weapons. Some would like to suck us into the fray to do their dirty work for them. The Saudis are famous for letting others do their heavy lifting. So let's be smart for once. Lets sit out this ugly dance and rebuild our military. Remember, "peace through strength".

If ISIS survives and builds their Caliphate, it will be dangerous. Terrorists, would-be terrorists, and hopeful martyrs will flock there. But most of the danger will be centralized. It will be easier to watch and control.  But that is an "if" and it is far in the future. America needs a vacation from international mayhem.