The US military strategy to finance Iraqi Sunni tribes came under criticism from several quarters. The Arab analysts doubt the efficacy of such policy looking at the pervasive Shia-Sunni divide in Iraq and prevalence of anti-American feeling among the Sunnis of Iraq. There is every chance of a full-scale sectarian war in the country that may eventually strengthen terrorist forces at the cost of national unity.
The baffled US military has no alternative but to arm Sunni tribes of Iraq by money and weapons to fight against militants to stop it’s own rising causalities. No doubt it will erode terror support base and weaken the insurgency considerably. But, there is every possibility that Iraq’s Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish will train the guns on each other on the event of failure to achieve credible political reconciliation to resolve the crisis.
The Sunni political parties are yet to stall their anti-Shia propaganda and join political sessions of the legislature. They are complaining against Shiite led ruling coalition’s attempt to declare Iraq a Shiite nation. The Shia groups leave no stone unreturned by blaming Sunnis for every act of violence. Shia militant groups headed by fire bond clerics like Muqdar-al-Sadr are against any kind of political reconciliation with the Sunnis.
The Shias are yet to forget the atrocities against them during the regime of Saddam Hussein who is still respected among the Sunnis for his pro-community stand. The Kurdish demand for evacuation of Arab Sunnis settled in oil rich Kirkuk and Mosul during Saddam led Bath party rule has already caused animosity between the two sects and there is possibility that it may lead to civil strife in Iraq.
The American forces are taking a gamble by arming the Shias. But they need to be vigilant enough to control Sectarian armies to fight against each other which till date they have failed to achieve.
Via: Msnbc
