Al Qaeda vs. ISIS: Al-Zawahiri Declares War on Al-Baghdadi

[Fidel_Castronaut]

But a little more brains than brawns would have prevented much of what has happened within the last decade.

How so?  I think the region was destined to devolve into civil war regardless of what we did.

I agree. The specter of conservative islam has been a growing threat since the early 20th century. There may have been additional flashpoints recently in the last couple of decades of so, but that exportation of extremism from the Saudi peninsula was occuring anyway and there's no sign it would have abated with or without Afghanistan and/or Iraq.

If we should have supported anyone, it should have been the Kurds and the secular voice that was strong in the initial months of the Syrian uprising. Instead we in the west chose to do nothing, and they were all murdered or are fleeing to Europe (God knows the al saud's don't want any intelligent educated people questioning their theocratic dictatorship).

This is a good book by a great author (Jason Burke) who I'd recommend immensely on the subject:
http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/jaso...23486.aspx