Sorry Mr. President, It's Too Late For A Political Solution In Iraq

When our military left Iraq in 2011, we destined that country to division by leaving Nouri al-Maliki in charge.  In the succeeding months, al-Maliki -- a Shiite -- did everything possible to exclude the Sunni and Kurdish populations from the business and affairs of state.  So, when the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq (ISIS), a Sunni terrorist group, began pounding on Iraq's door, the Sunni population accepted them because they understood that their interests were better served by a Sunni terrorist group than the Shiite-centered government in Baghdad.  That's why ISIS was so quickly able to take over the Sunni cities in the north, like Mosul and Tikrit, with little or no resistance.

The chance for a political solution in Iraq is a ship that sailed in 2010 when al-Maliki was reelected and in 2011 when we left the country alone to politically mishandle what was given by our overthrow of Saddam Hussein.  What President Obama doesn't seem to understand is that ISIS is not interested in a political solution.  Their's is a single-minded goal to establish a Caliphate, or State of Islam, which would be run by a Caliph -- the holiest of Imams and a believed-to-be successor to the prophet Muhammad -- and which would mandate strict adherence to Sharia law and all people (Sunni, Shiites, Kurds, Jews, and Christians) within the Caliphate would be subject to Muhammad's 620 A.D. Constitution of Medina. For ISIS, there is no room for some Shiite-dominant Parliamentary style of government that is currently the rule in Iraq.  There is no room for any political solution.

So, unless ISIS can be driven out of the country, Iraq is doomed to being divided with the long-hoped-for Sunni Caliphate being established.  And, if that Caliphate is established, the U.S. will regret the day it happens.  ISIS is a committed enemy of America and Israel. Even more radically dedicated to our downfall than Al Qaeda.  Instead of having to worry about some pre-9/11 group of training camps in Afghanistan, we will then have to worry about a entire Islamic State, run by ISIS, and dedicated to the terrorism of this country.  A state that would have access to oil revenues and, subsequently, able to fund all kinds of terrorist acts against adversaries like the U.S.

References:

Obama to send military advisors to Iraq but seeks political solution: http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-obama-iraq-20140620-story.html#page=1

Caliphate: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliphate

Constitution of Medina: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Medina

Sharia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharia

Iraq militants 'turning back clock' in captured Mosul: http://news.yahoo.com/iraq-militants-turning-back-clock-captured-mosul-133453638.html;_ylt=AwrBJR9J.qZTUTgAqznQtDMD