Shia and Sunni hate each other far more than they hate anything else.
We in the West have chosen to be friends with the Sunnis, which makes us enemies of the Shias. There is no logic to our preference other than the Saudis having the most oil. In fact the Sunnis (our friends) tend to be nastier than the Shias (our enemies).
Peace (or what passes for peace amongst these nations) was maintained by the threat of an American big stick. This threat has gone:
1) Because Obama is a weak windbag, unfit for purpose.
2) The American's discovered shale oil/gas and no longer need the Arabs.
3) Several moslem countries followed the bucket of sunshine instruction manual and think this will frighten America.
4) The Arab spring proved that America just isn't interested any more.
5) Putin out smarts Obama at every turn.
We have several pending nuclear wars in the world. N & S Korea, India and Pakistan, Shia Vs Sunni. Of these the last is by far the most likely because it has the highest level of hate and because it is the most impossible to resolve.
So eventually expect glass car parks in the Middle East (especially with Israel acting as agent provocateur).
As for the UK, we should build the whole new fleet of boomers and stuff them with as many warheads as will fit. One thing the Arabs definitely understand is power. We want them to leave us alone.
Last edited by Eclectic; 8th Nov 2013 at 21:03.