So, to be honest I'm coming to the debate on the Middle East a little bit late. I hadn't read much about it, but then discovered Canada was looking to once again entering a war, one which Prime Minister Steven Harper called, "necessary and noble." My first thoughts drifted towards the costs of conflict and if it truly is "necessary and noble."
This time the question in the Middle East looks to a conflict in Syria, a conflict that has been a worldly topic since 2011. Hundreds of thousands have been killed, wounded, and millions have been displaced from their homes.
Canada is to decide on what extent we will be involved. Apparently the United States have begun discussing unintended casualties. President Barack Obama spoke in 2013 saying drone strikes wouldn't be approved unless there was "near-certainty" civilians wouldn't be killed or injured.
Though the civil war is recent in having begun in 2011, the conflicts in the Middle East date back for nearly ever. Following the World Wars the conflict in the Middle East however quickly escalated.
Looking into the topic a little bit more I discovered literature pointing to the ousting of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq as being the direct result of the creation of the Islamic State. The state was apparently replaced with a Shia government who has alienated the Sunni minority. Shia and Sunni are both Islamic, though after the prophet, Muhammad, passed it was uncertain as to who was to be his successor and the split developed.
Due to the alienation of the Sunnis many decided to support militant groups to defend themselves. Typically if a country is governed by Sunnis then Shias are typically the poorest and the reverse is also true.
In 1979 the Iranian revolution saw radical Shia push an agenda which was seen as a challenge to conservative Sunni regimes.
As Israel watched a combined Syria and Iraq merge into ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), tensions rose. In June of this year they reportedly developed a "caliphate" called the Islamic State. Caliphate means succession and is led by a religious and political leader known as a "caliph."
Two months ago mass atrocities were accused of being committed in Syria, which has led to Obama's speech stating the United States would provide air support and that ground troops will not be deployed.
Canada is now awaiting on the decision of our national leaders to see if we will be joining the fight. As I've said, I'm not well versed on the subject, but I do know conflicts that have occurred in the Middle East have never really been resolved and the current issues go back centuries really.
Conflict seems to be part of human nature, but making the decision to go to war isn't one that can be taken lightly and I hope our leaders give the decision a lot of weight before deciding.
When the United States decided to go to war over Hussein's "weapons of mass destruction." I was glad Canada didn't follow suit. I could understand the entry into Afghanistan, but the decision to enter Iraq seemed ill-advised to me, though I was only a teen, I continue to agree with this opinion.
Now Canada is making the decision again and it is one that could be costly both regarding lives and financially. However, to prevent untold devastation war is sometimes necessary and conflict is needed to protect rights and freedoms.
