Would you like to see civil war, sectarian killing?

Syria s Sectarian Stalemate

Syria s internal conflict has now become a Sunni Shia sectarian war that is spreading across the region. The Sunni clerics who have just declared a jihad against the Iranian regime, Hezbollah, and its sectarian allies are the voice of millions across the Muslim world.

There are ominous indications that the relative forbearance of this group may end. If that happens, the insurgency will be superseded by a much more dangerous sectarian civil war.

The issues were, of course, ethnic sectarian violence.

This means doing everything possible to stop infiltration of terrorists into Iraq and rethinking support for militias. None of Iraq s neighbors, including Iran, would benefit from sectarian conflict that grows into a regional war.

Public instability and insecurity is compounded by an increase in sectarian strife.

Sunni ministers who had been boycotting the government since last year have returned to their posts. Thus, Iraq is seeing both escalating intra sectarian violence and cautious steps towards inter sectarian alliances.

It can choose to lead the Middle East into vibrant multi sectarian democracy or slump back into corrupt local politics under foreign tutelage. The latter path could easily lead to civil strife and, perhaps, another civil war.

For some, it will lead to anger, religious and sectarian violence and terrorism.

All the while, Assad was describing the violence as the product of terrorists and Sunni extremists seeking dominion over minority Alawites, Druze, Kurds, Christians, and other groups. He worked assiduously to fan the flames of sectarian civil war, succeeding to the extent that now the chief reason for not intervening to stop the killing is the impossibility of doing so effectively in an environment of sectarian violence.

Its center has shifted from Iraq (where sectarian strife has recently escalated again) to Syria, but it encompasses Egypt, Yemen, Libya, and Tunisia as well. Farther east, Afghanistan is suffering its second decade of violent conflict, while Pakistan seems to be chronically on the brink of war, civil war, or social breakdown.

Moreover, Pakistan s substantial Shia population might join the ranks of the violently disaffected if the military backed the Saudis in a sectarian war. And the Pakistan People s Party, now in opposition but still a powerful domestic force, shares interests with Iran.

Otherwise, rising sectarian tensions and violence hold the potential for escalation into serious civil strife.

Iraq Combating terrorism requires combating all extremist ideologies that promote religious, sectarian, or ethnic hatred.

Syria, which once welcomed thousands of Christians fleeing war torn Iraq, is experiencing an analogous change, as the country s increasingly sectarian civil war generates fear and mistrust throughout the population. Although Christians have largely sought to remain neutral in the conflict, they have become involved gradually, some by taking up arms and others as victims of kidnapping and violence.

They would bring prosperity, security, overcome sectarian violence, ensure that states would never again harbor terrorists.

But, as we have seen elsewhere in the region, it will prove far more difficult to put something benign and effective in its place. Civil war along sectarian lines could well predominate, or fighting between the various anti Assad opposition groups could erupt.

The Government of Rwanda was laying the foundations for a homogenous, united, coherent and non sectarian society.

Fiddledeedee! War, war, war.

War! War!

On matters of political controversy between nations, of party politics and of sectarian religion, SI maintains a position of strict neutrality.

War. It's really war.

More broadly, with Syria s civil war destabilizing Lebanon and threatening to do the same in Jordan, and with Iraq plagued by similar sectarian violence, the military coup in Egypt appears to herald the end of the Arab revolutions, at least for the time being. Everywhere, the signs are pointing backwards.

PRINCETON What began in Syria as a revolt against an oppressive regime has evolved into a sectarian civil war and, more recently, into a proxy conflict. In the process, the struggle has become increasingly convoluted, with conflicting agendas among allies, together with deep seated communal tensions, rendering the situation nearly intractable.

In the United States of America, neofascist organizations also were abundant, which disseminated their racist, xenophobic and sectarian propaganda throughout the media.

Special war edition! War declared!

It's war with Germany! War declared!

We are at war! War declared official!

The Cold War ...the war of nerves...

We're fighting a war, Sam. A war ?

An end of war. End to war!

I am concerned about the potential for escalation of inter and intra communal tensions into ethnic or sectarian strife and the regional ramifications thereof.

The Medical Women apos s International Association (MWIA) is a non political, non sectarian, non profit association representing women doctors from all five continents.

Significant measures must be taken, including the active involvement of neutral international agencies and observers to keep the government in check and ensure that voters can have their say. We are hopeful that Iraqis, who have had their fill of sectarian political parties, will be allowed freely to choose candidates who embrace a non sectarian and non racist agenda.

With Shia dominated Iran providing weapons, money, troops, and training for Assad s forces, the conflict s sectarian dimension has taken on greater significance. Indeed, government forces have devolved into a sectarian army, motivated by the fear that, if the largely Sunni rebels are victorious, they will annihilate the Shia affiliated Alawite minority that has ruled Syria for decades.

From War of Choice to War Without End

Or before a war, or after a war.

You have the war. You like the war.

It is non political and non sectarian, and operates in more than 60 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.

Ideologically, the central conflict between Iran and its neighbors is based on the sectarian conflict between Sunni and Shia Islam. The devastating Syrian civil war is already being fought along these lines given signs of a military and political stalemate, those lines could become the basis of a permanent division of the country, as in Bosnia.

Indeed, throughout the region, warring parties are relying on sectarian identity politics to mobilize support, further polarizing populations along religious, ethnic, and ideological lines. Saudi Arabia and Iran are using Yemen s internal divisions over historic political and socioeconomic grievances in their proxy war there, presenting the conflict as a manifestation of the historic Sunni Shia rift.

Now Bush will increase the number of American troops in Baghdad and Anbar Province and try to stabilize both the rising sectarian civil war and the Sunni insurgency. He has removed generals John Abizaid and George Casey, who were skeptical of a troop surge, and moved Ambassador Zalmay Khalizad, who was supposed to negotiate a political agreement in Iraq.

In fact, the Middle East buffeted by the Iraq War, the Arab Spring, and the sectarian showdown in Syria is unsure where to go next liberal democracy and the rule of law, or Islamist rule? Yet, for the Sunni world, Iraq is the mistake that not only must not be repeated, but also must be reversed.

War!