The Obvious answer to that question is: As wrong and stupid as it can gets! It is now a known fact that their intervention in Iraq was a huge mistake, maybe bigger than the Nam war. It created a complete chaos and instability in the whole region. Yes, they succeeded in stopping the ‘Arab Spring”, and suppress people’s movement to topple the corrupt governments. But, the counter action was a nightmare for them. The emergence of a very radical movement, ISIS, and the spread of it’s idealogy within the whole region.
The problem is that the American, and all Western governments for that matter, donsn’t really understand how it works in the Middle East. But, we do.
In 2009, Jarret Brachman, Director of the Combating Terrorism center, West Point, USA, has conceded to that fact. He said, in regards to a study I have prepared[1] about the sectarian divisions and categorization of the Salafi Movements in that region, quoting the author as “Dr tariq Abdelhaleem, a Canadian Thinker” and I quote “However, they are significantly more nuanced than the categories currently used by the Western Policy Makers, analysts, and Law enforcement agencies to discuss Established Salafis, global Jihadist, and those in-between”[2].
This actually proves the point that the Western Policies are mostly based on fallacies and wrong interpretation, and hence, the action taken based on that distorted understanding, is always catastrophic.
I am intending here to render help to the Western policy Makers or Intelligence agencies. I am trying here to paint a picture to the current catastrophic situation that Led to the establishment of such chaotic situation, in Syria and Iraq.
The Policy Makers and Intelligence agencies have caused this situation in the Middle East in the first place. However, the arrogance of the Presidency establishment doesn’t allow it to re-consider its position on the issue, ad see the fatal steps they made in their response to the so-called September 11 event.
I would state that that response was a complete lack of understanding the variables, factions and internal structure of the forces they were dealing with. They moved in a way that hurt everyone around, including their own people. It cost them trillions of dollars as well as many lives of their own citizens, and major international embarrassment, just in vain.
The Arab “people”, which the Western Governments are actually fighting, under the false pretence of helping them establish democracy[3]; have one single goal; to live in dignity and without being slaved to the corrupt puppet governments, installed by the US to serve its twisted duel goals; securing oil and security of the Jewish state. Unfortunately, they never included the one true factor that might help them achieve their goals without sacrificing millions of lives which were killed during the process of establishing democracy! That factor is how to understand and communicate with the “people” and “Islamic” so-called radicals, and categorize them accordingly.
For instance, lately, the Western governments adopted a UN resolution to add ISIS and “Al-Nusrah” factions on the Terrorism groups list. That was a baseless decision, and one that omits the possibility of any real settlement in that region.
I am not going to go into details of the different factions and ideologies that are now being roaming the Syrian and Iraqi region, and shaping its future, as I did with the salafies Factions. I just will describe two main ideologies that are already in control of the ground, in spite of any Western expected intervention.
There are two main groups on the ground in Syria and Iraq, with two different sets of views, toward many issues from Creed to nature of relations allowed in Islam with non-Muslims, and how to treat them. There are also, hundreds of little groups, which are adopting different agendas.
The first and strongest sect is ISIS, as it is well known to all. However, they are a descendents of an extremist sect of Islam called “Al-khawarij”. It is a sect of Islam, like the Shiat sect. Basically, they consider all “Muslims” who do not follow their ideology are “deserters” of Islam, and they have to be killed. They adopt very extreme ideas about non-Muslims, and carry very extreme measures to get to their goals, such as slaughtering their “enemies”.
On the other hand, Sunnis are true followers of the Islamic doctrine. Like all other religions, people are divided to believers and non-believers. However the difference is how Sunnis perceive and deal with other Muslim sects, and non-believers. Sunnis are more tolerant to non-Muslims, and much less violant than Al-Khawarij. His is because Sunnis adhere to the authentic understanding of the Quran and the way of the Prophet PBUH. For instance, Sunnis do not condone killing foreign civilians or Journalists, for whatever reason. This is, however, not the place to go over the details of proofs and quotes. It is just an overall statement that might guide the “Policy Makers” when they deal with both factions.
It was a big mistake for the US to push the UN to put all factions, such as Al-Nusra, under the seventh clause. It only alienates all those who can actually lead a peaceful solution in that region, at least in terms of a fair dealing with the West, if the West chose to. The problem of Israel will still be a problematic issue, but, at least, it is the West’s best option at this stage.
I see the US is on the same path, which led to the chaos in the Middle East. They actually, as Mr. Bachman, of West Point, said, have very poor knowledge of the structure and believes of the fighting factions, and hence, on the wrong path to approach them.
September 04, 2014
[1] The Counterfeit Salafies, Dr Tariq Abdelhaleem, 2004
[2] Global Jihadism, Jarret Brachman, 2009,P26-40
[3] And it is obvious to everyone now that the kind of democracy they want for the Middle Est is the one presented by Al-Sisi of Egypt! It is mere joke!
