I have often heard it said that oil is our main economic driver for the middle east wars, which one can easily build a case for even with Afganistan. The region needs to be stable to avoid a disruption to oil flow. That being said, as fracting increases our oil reserves and production the economic pressure will decline. But, why are they always fighting among themselves?
When they talk about sects in Iraq, Iran, Afganistan, Egypt, Syria, etc. that is just code talk for different religions with their various attached cultures. Each religion seems to be attached to an irrational ethical code that each Sect has developed over the ages. Wikepedia has a good breakdown of the religions in Syria, and also their segregated geographical distribution.
The muslim brotherhood (fundamentalists) are just more convinced they are right and willing to force others into their religous (irrational) views than most of the other sects. But, dare I say if they are like all religions that I have had a chance to know personally, each is convinced they hold more truth than the rest of us. They are more rational, more holy, more rational and know what is good and what is evil. For example, your birthday suit worn in public is wrong, a sin, etc. under any of these sects I would guess. A nudist colony would probably not be allowed in Syria. (Oh yea, it is not allowed in most of the U.S. because various religions would protest, but that is different, right?)
A 100,000 people have been killed in Syria. 1000 perhaps by chemicals (more dead and more awful than bombs we are told). In Iraq perhaps a million civilians have died, but our military was told not to count bodies. Lucky they were killed as the result of the good guys (Us, as in U.S.) invading their country. We would hate to be thought of as just another self-serving South Baptist religious sect with bigger guns. We are after all the good guys. And who cares about the casualities in Afganistan, after all, one of their terrorists killed 2500 of us and they deserve to die. Besides, we are there to help them now; death tolls of civilians don't matter. We don't even bother to count them. Too much trouble.
We have not been able to stop the killing in Iraq or Afganistan, why do we think we can stop it in Syria. Let's drop some big bombs, not counting the civilian deaths, and see if that stops them from killing. It worked so great in Iraq and Afganistan. So what is different this time. Pretty much the same religious sects, same good guys and bad guys, all lining up to push their religion on others, guns included.
Yes gas weapons are ugly. But so is a drone wiping out an entire wedding party. Or a U.S. soldier going on a rampage and wiping out several families. Lucky they are being killed by the good guys ... it doesn't hurt as much.
