Air Force

“This is not solely or even primarily a military challenge,” Obama told reporters. He placed the burden of the present crisis on the Iraqi government, which the president said has fostered an atmosphere of sectarian mistrust by excluding Sunni groups from broader representation in the central government...."

The president of Iraq is Kowtowing to Shia pressure and excluding the Sunnis from positions in office at all levels. Meaning even if they were elected by popular vote. He pressures or denies their confirmation and puts a Shia in instead. In addition inside the police and army it is very fractured amongst religious lines. And the performance is the same way.

Good example. In Basra when the police chief was a Shia and if a Shia had a complaint against a Sunni it was handled in favor of the Shia. If a Sunni had a complaint against a Shia it was decided that not enough proof existed.

It could be the exact type of case but due to religious differences and "Wasta" the Shia always sides with the Shia. In Iraq its all about the "Wasta" Arabic for Influence and Power.

So if its sectarian its self inflicted.

when we were implementing SWETT Infrastructure and PRT teams it always seemed to boil down to who got what first with the basis of the religious majority in a city having the control.

In the case of Syria which was Baathist and still is under the current regime as long as instability is prolonged then the risk of Bio Chems being transported out of country is extremely elevated. It wont take much to cause panic. And it is impossible to say how much Bashir or his father stockpiled. So we are fueling our own enemy with the means to acquire items that they could not get under a stable albeit tyrannical regime.

Maybe that's what the current administration wants. The SDR's that I had the opportunity to read as far back as 2004 stated that a stable Syria was key to keeping the chemicals in their country. When the administration changed a new breed of yes men and women came into power. and the old SDR's were thrown out. Including the one written in late 79 warning about the two front feint against Embassies. Which was the exact same thing that happened in Libya. Anyone who remembers 1979 will see the similarities. as 79 was studied by the bad guys.