Tuesday, January 7, 2014

The Syrian Conflict Is No Longer Contained

Fighters patrol in Fallujah, Iraq, on Sunday. Residents and officials said U.S. weapons were pillaged from armories after fighters took control of Fallujah and skirmished with Iraqi government troops on the road to Baghdad. The spillover of violence in the region from Syria's civil war has raised concerns. Reuters

Fallout From Syria Conflict Takes Rising Toll On Mideast -- Ellen Knickmeyer and Jay Solomon, Wall Street Journal

BEIRUT—Spiraling violence and advances by al Qaeda-linked fighters in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon are underscoring the cost of Syria's civil war as it increasingly spills over the country's borders.

The rise of the Islamist forces in Iraq is particularly worrisome to the Obama administration. In response, U.S. officials said Sunday they were seeking to boost military support—though they emphasized no troops—for Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to help in his campaign to push back al Qaeda. U.S. officials are also considering new military aid for Lebanon, which is plagued by rising sectarian violence.

Resurgent al Qaeda-allied forces battled Sunday in both Iraq and in neighboring Syria. Fighters in Iraq's Anbar Province pillaged American weapons from armories after taking control of the town of Fallujah and skirmished with Iraqi government troops on the road to Baghdad, said residents and officials there.

Read more ....

Update: The slow-motion conflagration around Syria -- Washington Post editorial

My Comment: It is now obvious that the conflict in Syria cannot be contained .... and coupled with regional allies falling into competing camps amid a intensifying proxy battle between powerhouses Iran and Saudi Arabia .... the violence and instability in the Middle East will only escalate. As for U.S. policy in the region .... Micahel Weiss in his Politico commentary sums it up correctly .... it is falling apart.

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