It has become increasingly clear to me that the primary source of conflict in the Middle East is, and always has been, the Sunni-Shia conflict.
At various times, like the during the Cold War, the outside world has co-opted that conflict to their own ends in political proxy wars against their global opponents and/or as a way to gain access/control of resources. But those proxy wars were only possible because of the underlying conflict that already existed in the region.
The thaw in the Cold War, the lessening of overt manipulation of the region by outside agents, and the Arab Spring Revolutions, have really made that clear. As the outside influences recede, the regional powers in the Middle East focus inwards to fight their battles.
Mike
|