US Intel Chief: Iraq and Syria may not Survive as States

[unhappycamper]

http://www.juancole.com/2015/09/syria-survive-states.html

US Intel Chief: Iraq and Syria may not Survive as States
By Juan Cole | Sep. 14, 2015

Public remarks by the head of the US Defense Intelligence Agency and by John Brennan, director of the CIA, suggest that Washington is making its piece with a break-up of Syria and Iraq. They hastened to say that break-up was not US policy, they simply saw it as likely. (Despite what conspiracy theorists allege, and despite the failed Biden initiative, US policy has consistently favored keeping Iraq together; it is easier to sign one oil deal than three after all). Last month similar sentiments were voiced by outgoing US commander in Iraq, Gen. Ray Odierno.

Gen. Vincent Stewart of the DIA said he couldn’t see the Kurdistan Regional Government of northern Iraq coming back under Baghdad’s rule, and that with regard to Syria, “I can see a time in the future where Syria is fractured into two or three parts.”

Brennan echoed these views, saying that the Middle East could well look different in coming decades.

Obviously, at the moment Iraq and Syria are fractured. And Stewart and Brennan (the latter is an Arabist) could well be right. But this outcome cannot be taken for granted.

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How many more countries will we destabilize before these adventures end?

[jakeXT]

1. Freudian slip?

suggest that Washington is making its piece with a break-up of Syria and Iraq.

[merrily]

2. Bernie said years ago that invading Iraq would de-stabilize the Middle East.

I sure wish the neocons had paid more attention to him.

[jakeXT]

3. Even Cheney knew it

[bemildred]

4. Another "No shit, Sherlock" moment from our "intelligence" chiefs. nt