tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5492310882851199969.post1902051973300068689..comments2024-01-09T15:03:54.986-05:00Comments on Wolf Howling: The Next Moves In An Existential Chess MatchGWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814327154035433443noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5492310882851199969.post-76357731302594282912008-04-17T18:23:00.000-04:002008-04-17T18:23:00.000-04:00The Sunni-Shia divide and the Al Anbar-Basra divid...The Sunni-Shia divide and the Al Anbar-Basra divide seems very close to the Left Flank vs Right Flank divide.<BR/><BR/>meaning, if you win on one of the flanks but allow your other flank to fold because of inattention or just incompetence, what you get is a defeat, not a victory parade.<BR/><BR/>It's not enough to win on one flank, you have to win on both, or at least prevent yourself from losing.<BR/><BR/>That's why I don't give much credit to people who thought Basra could be ignored because Sadr would make more trouble for us if we interfered. Those people were thinking short term material gains, not long term checkmate solutions.<BR/><BR/>Nor did I have much respect for those that said arming the Sunnis were just us helping the Iraqis fight a civil war against the Shia. Those people were just the opponent chessplayer talking smack to me.Ymarsakarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11246906722493964175noreply@blogger.com