Can You Tell a Sunni From a Shiite?

Some of the worst violence in Iraq is a result of sectarian conflict, pitting followers of the Shiite branch of Islam against Sunni adherents. The sectarian violence draws in neighboring states and adds to the challenge of the US military in the region. Unsettling is the lack of US understanding about the difference between Sunnis and Shiites, as described by journalist Jeff Stein. Questions posed by Stein to US counterterrorism officials about the differences – and which sect is backed by which outside forces – were often met with blank, if chagrined, stares and plenty of incorrect guesses. The question about the difference between Sunnis and Shiites is no trick. Understanding the dynamics of a conflict, including alliances and thought-processes of one’s enemies, is crucial to effective military action. While not all officials charged with directing America’s counterterrorism policies are so unfamiliar with Middle East history and Islam, the lack of knowledge is strikingly widespread. Ignorance and arrogance are dangerous bedfellows, and often produce negative consequences that are difficult to repair. – YaleGlobal