Once again, we take the wrong fork in the road, due to our arrogance, our instinctive resort to force, and our near-total ignorance of the local culture.
Up to now, 90% of the armed resistance to our occupation, has come from the 20% of the Iraqi population that is Sunni Arab.
Up to now, the Shiites have expressed their opinions peacefully. And how do we respond? We shut down their newspapers, and fire on their demonstrators. We leave them no way to express their political desires, except armed revolt.
Today, we slid further down the slippery slope. It is becoming a near-certainty, that we will soon be fighting 80%, instead of just 20%, of the Iraqis. If we continue doing the same mistakes, Iraq will fall to a Shiite cleric much more anti-American than Sistani. |
