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originally posted by: IamAbeliever
Just saw that the Iranian-backed militias have pulled out of Tikrit in a protest over US airstrikes.
What a mess over there.
So currently the state of affairs in the Middle East goes something like this: The US is fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria in tacit conjunction with Iran to some degree. The US is not directly fighting against, but wants to depose the Assad regime in Syria which is backed by Iran. Iran is fighting via Shiite militia proxy against a pro-US established and Sunni dominated government in Yemen, while Saudi Arabia, our closest Arab ally, along with other Sunni Arab nations, the majority of which are close US allies as well, are now fighting this Iranian backed Shiite militia. Meanwhile, mostly everyone in the region is hoping that Iran is not allowed to reach nuclear breakout capability. The whole situation is a total mess, where murky intentions abound and the real chance of deepening hostilities exists around every bend. Even worse, this all could be just a weak preview of what is to come should Iran move forward with its nuclear program.
As for trying to identify a firm US foreign policy in the region, you can't, unless we are just going to go with the age old and dangerous adage: The enemy of my enemy is my friend. [Source]