US Should Intervene Less, Not More
<p><span word="In">In</span> 2004, <span word="Middle">Middle</span> <span word="East">East</span> <span word="expert">expert</span> <span word="Joshua">Joshua</span> <span word="Landis">Landis</span> <span word="followed">followed</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="advice">advice</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="academic">academic</span> <span word="colleague">colleague</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="University">University</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Oklahoma">Oklahoma</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="started">started</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="blog">blog</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="Syria">Syria</span> <span word="Comment">Comment</span>. <span word="To">To</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="surprise">surprise</span>, <span word="tens">tens</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="thousands">thousands</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="around">around</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span> <span word="began">began</span> <span word="reading">reading</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="online">online</span> <span word="material">material</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="sent">sent</span> <span word="speaking">speaking</span> <span word="invitations">invitations</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="far">far</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="wide">wide</span>.</p><p><span word="Landis">Landis</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="scaling">scaling</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="blogging">blogging</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="remains">remains</span> <span word="intensely">intensely</span> <span word="focused">focused</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="region">region</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="role">role</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="director">director</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="university">university</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="Center">Center</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="Middle">Middle</span> <span word="East">East</span> <span word="Studies">Studies</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="Civil">Civil</span> <span word="War">War</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Syria">Syria</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Islamic">Islamic</span> <span word="State">State</span> <span word="group">group</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="rapid">rapid</span> <span word="seizure">seizure</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="land">land</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="both">both</span> <span word="Syria">Syria</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Iraq">Iraq</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="challenged">challenged</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="confused">confused</span> <span word="Western">Western</span> <span word="policymakers">policymakers</span>. <span word="One">One</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="understanding">understanding</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="happening">happening</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="Central">Central</span> <span word="Europe">Europe</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="half">half</span> <span word="century">century</span> <span word="ago">ago</span>, <span word="Landis">Landis</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p><p>"<span word="During">During</span> <span word="World">World</span> <span word="War">War</span> <span word="II">II</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="great">great</span> <span word="sorting">sorting</span> <span word="out">out</span>," <span word="he">he</span> <span word="said">said</span>. "<span word="Poland">Poland</span> <span word="was">was</span> 64 <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="Polish">Polish</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="World">World</span> <span word="War">War</span> <span word="II">II</span>; <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="World">World</span> <span word="War">War</span> <span word="II">II</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> 100 <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="Polish">Polish</span>. <span word="Czechoslovakia">Czechoslovakia</span> <span word="had">had</span> 32 <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="minorities">minorities</span>; <span word="all">all</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="gone">gone</span>. <span word="This">This</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="true">true</span> <span word="right">right</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="Central">Central</span> <span word="Europe">Europe</span>."</p><p><span word="Landis">Landis</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="great">great</span> <span word="sorting">sorting</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="taking">taking</span> <span word="place">place</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Middle">Middle</span> <span word="East">East</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="fighters">fighters</span> <span word="united">united</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="fervent">fervent</span> <span word="transnational">transnational</span> <span word="Islamic">Islamic</span> <span word="identity">identity</span> <span word="expel">expel</span> <span word="Christians">Christians</span>, <span word="Jews">Jews</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="minorities">minorities</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="seize">seize</span> <span word="territory">territory</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="traditional">traditional</span> <span word="rulers">rulers</span>.</p><p>"<span word="All">All</span> <span word="across">across</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Middle">Middle</span> <span word="East">East</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="secular">secular</span> <span word="nationalist">nationalist</span> <span word="leaders">leaders</span>," <span word="he">he</span> <span word="said">said</span>. "<span word="They">They</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="wiped">wiped</span> <span word="away">away</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="getting">getting</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="world">world</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="religious">religious</span> <span word="nationalism">nationalism</span>."</p>
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