(U.S. News) Michael Eisenstadt - How should the U.S. respond to the mess in Iraq? First, do no harm; don't over-react. Second, stop the loose talk about meeting with Iran to discuss the situation in Iraq. This only feeds speculation that Washington and Tehran are conspiring at the expense of the Sunnis, and that the U.S. believes that the way to fight Sunni jihadists is by allying with Shiite jihadists. This perception will only further complicate the already polarized and fraught situation in Iraq, and foster additional distrust toward the U.S. among its traditional (Sunni) Arab allies. The writer is a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
2014-06-19 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive