... Party) and Al Qaeda in Iraq [
5
]. Attempts to inject Sunni groups (the Sahwa or the Al-Iraqiya movements, which also included Sunnis) into the political elite were generally unsuccessful.
The ongoing marginalization of the Sunni population by the Nouri ... ... pragmatism, since everyone realized that Washington would play a defining role in the future federative Iraq. At the same time, the Shiites, who had become the dominant group in Iraq, were looking to the Iranian model of governance.
The formation of the new ...
... longer be tolerated, since it was fraught with the real danger of an armed confrontation between the principal ethnic and denominational communities in the state. It is noteworthy that discontent with this situation was expressed not only by Kurds and Sunnis but also by some Shiites inclined to view the PMF as an instrument of Iran's military and political dominance in Iraq.
The 2018 parliamentary elections were a watershed moment in Iraq’s political developments. One of the most remarkable results of the electoral campaign ...
... West, but information-wise the status quo is likely to remain for a long time to come. As a result, some will see Russia as a country that defends dictators and bombs the moderate opposition and civilians, while others will see it as an enemy of the Sunnis. Details regarding the groups bombed, real targets for air attacks, or the fact that Russia has 20 million Sunnis residing in its territory will be virtually ignored.
The most obvious risks are image-related.
Russia is, as always, rather weak ...
... numerous ungoverned
grey zones
attracted al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, a powerful regional terrorist organization that is gaining ground in this snowballing crisis.
The regional narrative suggests that Yemen presents a battlefield for the Iran-led Shiites and Saudi Arabia, the self-proclaimed Sunni leader. The two countries are generally seen by pundits as regional rivals in many different locations from Syria and Lebanon to Bahrain and Yemen. To this end, the Houthi success seems to hurt the Saudis ...
... dialogues are keeping the government functioning; however, not addressing core issues like electing a president, holding parliamentary elections and forming a new government will lead to continuous institutional deadlock.
AFP / LOUAI BESHARA
Elena Suponina:
Shiites and Sunnis: The Danger of Major War
from Syria to Pakistan
These dialogues cannot substitute political institutions. In the current situation, the government’s response towards pressing developments has been weak at best. Recently, Islamist militants ...
... several decades. And now the main theater for this confrontation lies in Iraq, whose western and central regions have become home to the Islamic State (IS), territory claimed by a group of radical Islamists
[22]
.
AFP / LOUAI BESHARA
Elena Suponina:
Shiites and Sunnis: The Danger of Major War
from Syria to Pakistan
Emergence of a major Islamist entity in close proximity to its borders constitutes a direct threat to Iran's national security. Hence, sources suggest, Iranian troops have already entered Iraqi territory ...
... one still lacking efficiency. Saudi Arabia could neither promote anti-Iranian integration under the Council, nor involve a country with combat-ready armed forces (chiefly Jordan and Morocco).
Removing Nuri al-Maliki
AFP / LOUAI BESHARA
Elena Suponina:
Shiites and Sunnis: The Danger of Major War
from Syria to Pakistan
Destabilization of Iraq – the “pearl” in the sphere of Iranian influence – takes on particular significance as the third tool to curb Iran.
Given the serious setbacks, the ...
... the smoldering fire of interfaith conflicts.
Therefore, the equidistant position shaped by President Vladimir Putin appears quite reasonable and indisputably correct: “Moscow is not interested in plunging into intra-Islamic conflicts, involving Sunnis, Shiites, Alawites, etc.”
[13]
At the same time, the Russian authorities and security forces should not underestimate this issue. It is necessary to keep the situation in the religious communities and activities of foreign religious leaders under ...
