One may speculate on what role France's intervention in Lybia or the USA's in Iraq may have had in the creation of ISIS.
Personally, I think that ISIS is mainly the direct legacy of the sudden marginalization of a significant Sunni minority that used to have positions of power in Iraq, which was being eased into a new basically Shia regime.
Being denied the means to integrate and having a lot of military experience, they were virtually forced to become a rebel militia.
Of course, a lot of the reason why they were in such a difficult situation comes from their own hostility to the Shia majority for decades...
In that sense, yes, I think that a considerable amount of the blame goes to the USA and perhaps even France. But we can not forget that it would hardly be possible for that blame to exist if the Shia and Sunni contingents were not so consistently willing to take arms against each other instead of attempting some form of diplomatic agreement.
"The West" may well have been foolish and destructive in its interference. But we must be careful not to take for granted that the native Muslims can have no other attitude beyond that of angry militias seeking some convenient leadership or another to wash any responsibility out of their hands.
Among other reasons, of course because if they can have no other role then there is only so much that can be done to cooperate with their future, their dignity, and their prospects at peace.
Personally, I think that ISIS is mainly the direct legacy of the sudden marginalization of a significant Sunni minority that used to have positions of power in Iraq, which was being eased into a new basically Shia regime.
Being denied the means to integrate and having a lot of military experience, they were virtually forced to become a rebel militia.
Of course, a lot of the reason why they were in such a difficult situation comes from their own hostility to the Shia majority for decades...
In that sense, yes, I think that a considerable amount of the blame goes to the USA and perhaps even France. But we can not forget that it would hardly be possible for that blame to exist if the Shia and Sunni contingents were not so consistently willing to take arms against each other instead of attempting some form of diplomatic agreement.
"The West" may well have been foolish and destructive in its interference. But we must be careful not to take for granted that the native Muslims can have no other attitude beyond that of angry militias seeking some convenient leadership or another to wash any responsibility out of their hands.
Among other reasons, of course because if they can have no other role then there is only so much that can be done to cooperate with their future, their dignity, and their prospects at peace.
