Tehran vs. Ankara * Sisi vs, ISIS

Submitted by Ludvikus (United States), Jun 13, 2014 at 12:34

Dear Daniel Pipes,

Thanks for another wonderful Strategic analisis.

Expanding on your conclusion, "Tehran, not we, should fight ISIS," I wish to ellaborate a bit.

The context in which these current events should be viewed involves a close reading of Bernard Lewis "Class of Civilizations" including the text under the same title by Samuel P. Huntington:[http://www.hks.harvard.edu/fs/pnorris/Acrobat/Huntington_Clash.pdf].

And your non-intervention - at least directly, will greatly diminish the phenomena of blaming the West, particularly the "Great Satan," the US of A.

In that sense, Obama might be advised to read Bismark, who implemented the Roman Empires well-understood strategic tactic of "Divide and Conquer." That means strategists should exploit the Sunni- Shia's divide to the fullest.

The Demagogue, Conspiracist, Islamist Erdogan now turns out to be a wimp; I would not blame him, though, if he were to hesitate in the use of his military, where his non-secular anti-Ataturk, and Sledgehammer "legal" actions particularly, must have alienated his military, as well as weakened it; and Israel, thanks to him, cannot be called upon directly to Turk's aid, in view of his breaking of diplomatic relations over 10 Turkish Islamist casualties - and he isn't crying much crocodile-tears over Syria. Hopefully, something will happen - regarding the unfortunate Islamist-taking of hostages by SIS, which also dispises him as an Apostate, and he will not be elected President (and turrkey might return to secularism?).

But where I disagree with you involves Sisi and Sisi opposition to SISI in the form of the Muslim Brotherhood; you attack him on the grounds that the relatively independent judiciary sentenced 683 Egyptian Brothers to death over the murder of one Policeman; there I wish to remind you of our own Conspiracy laws regarding particularly Organized Crime; but the Italian example invoked against the Mafia probably is graphically better; another appropriate image is that of Mexico against the Drug Cartels. I think you judge Sisi too harshly - by relying implicitly on American Constitutionalism, particularly our English notion of Due Process; but Egypt requires a very different measuring rod - one which I'm quite certain you can easily produce out of your vast knowledge of Egyptian history.

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