And drag in Turkey and Iran very quickly.
While it is a suck-ass choice, I think a federal unified Iraq is the only choice that offers long term regional stability.
The day of small fragmented states in the Persian Gulf region is ending.
That was deliberate Brit/US policy since WWI.
The day of large civil societies is starting. Democratic or Consitutional monarch is not a problem. Theocratic or aurocratic oligarchies are.
The transition is inevitable and we will be lucky if it is resolved via small and slow wars, and not a great big WWIII.
It will not be an immaculate conception, but very maculate and bloody.
And will China play a constructive roll or just sit back and hope the US bleeds out, leaving them the young up and coming superpower of the first half of the 21st century?
I think of that pompous ass who stated that the end of the Cold War was the 'end of history' and lol @ his profound ignorance.
I worry for my kids.
Ed