Dangerous, but Perhaps Necessary, Alliances
By Douglas Farah
The U.S. military and intelligence community appear to have concluded that the only way to fight the al Qaeda-related groups in Iraq is to enlist the help of Sunni groups hostile to the United States. This is a risky strategy that carries almost as many dangers as it does possibilities.
Having seen efforts to divide radical groups through material inducements (Marxist groups and paramilitary groups in Latin America, primarily), it seems clear that the U.S. will have to offer the Sunnis something tangible to make such an alliance more than a one-night stand where there is deep remorse on all sides almost immediately.
Without a Sunni stake in the long term peaceful existence in Iraq, with the power proportionate to their minority status, but with the ability to be heard and influence national events, the process will turn out, I would bet, worse for all of us.
The question is, to me, if the U.S. arms Sunni groups who are fed up with the violence of the al Qaeda groups, and are willing and able to take them on directly, how does one insure they don't eventually turn that fire back on U.S. troops? My full blog is here.
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