Iraqi Civil War?

A quick observation about the Mosque attack in Samarra, Iraq. So, the Sunni insurgents get this radical idea to go blow up one of Shiite Islam’s most holy shrines. The result: Shiite’s go on a rampage killing scores of Sunnis. The backlash: Sunni Muslims pull out of the fragile Iraqi government leaving the country on the verge of civil war.

This is very, very bad for stability in the region. Sunni government support is seen as essential when it comes to curbing insurgent violence over the long term. Now that that support is gone, it gives insurgents a fresh victory. The insurgency (Al Qaeda) feels that if they were not able to stop the elections (something which they tried and failed to accomplish), then causing the government to fail is the next best victory.

If it comes to Civil War in Iraq, we can probably expect the following to occur:

• Total loss of credibility and trust for America and the Bush Administration.
• Justification for Iran’s Ahmadinejad to defend fellow Shiites in Iraq and cement his role in bringing about the return of the Hidden Imam through world instability.
• Al Qaeda will claim a convincing victory and enjoy free reign amid the chaos.

There are many other possible scenarios, but these three are the most likely immediate events that would occur should civil society break down in Iraq.

From a spiritual perspective, I have mixed emotions on what will actually happen. If there is a civil war, it might actually give Muslims a chance to stand up against their common enemies (terrorists) and establish freedom based on their own will and efforts. Yes, America will look bad – but as I have said before, we’ve been warned of these times.

Eventually, America will stumble because of the iniquity that abounds in our culture. We have no respect for our leaders and fail to support them, and with that comes certain consequences. We have been promised that this nation will not fall unless we allow it to sink into wickedness. So while we still have much good to do in the world, like liberating Iraq, we will still have to pay the price for denying that which is good. So, as God has often done, he will use the same event to help those in need while punishing the wicked.