Imagining a Remapped Middle East

Robin Wright, writing for the New York Times:

“The battlefields are merging,” the United Nations envoy Martin Kobler told the Security Council in July. “Iraq is the fault line between the Shia and the Sunni world and everything which happens in Syria, of course, has repercussions on the political landscape in Iraq.”

Over time, Iraq’s Sunni minority — notably in western Anbar Province, site of anti-government protests — may feel more commonality with eastern Syria’s Sunni majority. Tribal ties and smuggling span the border. Together, they could form a de facto or formal Sunnistan. Iraq’s south would effectively become Shiitestan, although separation is not likely to be that neat.

Understatement of the year. One needs only look at the India/Pakistan conflict to see what happens to contested regions in a post-colonial separation.

Overall, an interesting piece — be sure to check out the accompanying map.