Men in combat fatigues posed for pictures on the border between Syria and Iraq, as they waved national and paramilitary flags. To them, this was not just another meeting, but a hard-fought triumph. Years of fighting had allowed Iran's partners and proxies to finally link up from various parts of the war-torn Levant.
To Iran's enemies, the meeting marked the culmination of their worst nightmares. It was a moment marking Iran's victory in ensuring its friends and allies now control a swath of territory spanning the northern edge of the Arab world, from the borders of Iran to the Mediterranean Sea.
In many ways, that meeting on the border, posted online by the media unit of the Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah in November, was the defining moment of 2017. It marked Iran's resurgence, and, in turn, the failure of American foreign policy. For a US President who vowed to take on Iran and undo his predecessor's steps towards a rapprochement, Donald Trump has unintentionally enabled the Islamic Republic's rise.
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WNU Editor: President Trump after his inauguration prioritized the destruction of the Islamic State in The Middle East .... and on this goal he has succeeded. But like all conflicts in the past .... the priority is always to win war, and then sort out the mess after it is over. We are now at the stage where governments are trying to determine what should happen next .... and on this topic, there is no clear strategy and/or understanding on what needs to be done next. Iran wants to establish a foothold in Syria and Iraq. The Saudis want them out. The proxy war continues in Yemen, and the threat of terrorism continues to exist throughout the Middle East. It is in this environment that President Trump now finds himself in .... and yes .... the decisions that he is going to make in the coming months will profoundly impact the entire Middle East. At the moment I am seeing the U.S. at a standstill .... and my gut is telling me that they are trying to figure out what they should do next. My guess is that we will know at the beginning of 2018 on what will be the U.S. strategy, and from that we can then determine how much of an impact the U.S. will have. My prediction .... as much as the U.S. wants to change the Middle East so that it would be amicable to U.S. interests, in the end it will be the people in the Middle East who are the deciding factors for change .... whether we like it or not.
1 comment:
"They are trying to figure out what they should do next." Suggestuon: study the foreign policies of countries like Australia and Canada and emulate them.
You're last sentence is spot on. Ultimately it will be those in the Middle East who will decide what policies they wish to implement.
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