September 18, 2013
Wednesday

Letter to the Editor:

To foster world stability, it is in the best interest of the U.S. to promote equilibrium in the Middle East.

Israel should be kept strong because it is a Western oriented ally and buffer country in the region.

Iraq was a buffer against Iran.  With the death of Hussein and the takeover by the Shiites, the balance of power has shifted to Shiite Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The Sunni majority in Syria, supported by Sunni Saudi Arabia and the Emirates, are fighting President Assad of Syria, a Shiite.  We should support the Sunnis in Syria with some arms and hope they can hold their own and keep Assad off balance.  Since the Syrian rebels have al Qaeda elements among them, we do not want to strengthen them, nor weaken Assad, too much.

Egypt is a dubious friend of the U.S.  The Sunni Muslim Brotherhood continues to cast a shadow on the country.  We should back the Egyptian military as a counter-weight to the Islamists in Egypt.

Sectarianism in the Middle East prevails over national identity, and conflicts will be fought due to sectarian and religious differences.  We have to remember who our potential enemies are in the world.

Donald A. Moskowitz
Londonderry, NH

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