Unifying Iraq
Like Iraq, Iran has a diverse population. Arab, Persian and Kurdish elements were constantly at war with each other. The West gave them a ruler, their Shah, senior member of the royal Pahlevi family. The Shah was a particularly inept ruler, being primarily interested in enjoying the fruits of the great wealth being a ruler brought him. His secret police and the power of the West kept him on the throne. He was totally surprised when fundamentalist Moslem leaders led a revolt that unseated him.
The religious regime didn't last long, either. The various elements within the country were too diverse to put up with such a strict Moslem regimen. The Kurds were ready to form their own independent little country in the north while a civil war was about to break out in the south. We weren't very nice to them, either, so they were undergoing economic hardships.
Our good buddy (at that time), Saddam Hussein, saw Iraq as easy pickings. He figured he could breeze in, blow the opposition away, and take over the whole operation in short order.
So what happened?
Faced by an outside enemy, Iran discovered nationalistic fervor.
Suddenly they weren't a motley collection of Kurds, Suni, Persians and others -- they were Iranians and they were under attack. They defended their nation every way they could, even sacrificing their children aged eight to ten, marching them across mine fields ahead of their army to clear the way, so their pitiful, ragtag army would still be able to fight.
Millions died, both in Iraq and Iran, and the rest of the world just watched it happen for nearly a decade.
But now we know how we can unify Iraq.
Hell, we may wind up unifying the whole Middle East!
Comments (4)
I know what you mean - because once you start charting that course, there is no turning back. I can't really see George Bush as the man who saves the world - he might just be the man who created an unstoppable catalyst, though.
If everything goes as Bush plans...expect an increase in terrorist attacks any time now.
Hey, we may unite the whole world one way or another. Nothing like a common enemy to bring them all together.
I cannot imagine a culture that would march their children across a mine field! We are just too different from these people to meddle in their business.
Unify the Middle East? Hmmm. Big project.
The one good thing that will come of this war is that the US will lose what little worldwide hegemony it had.
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