In the Middle East, the U.S. Shouldn't Resort to Sectarian Thinking | Opinion
Sean Durns
, Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis
On 3/12/21 at 6:00 AM EST
Press briefings at the Pentagon seldom attract much attention. Yet a March 3 briefing by Pentagon spokesman John Kirby proved an exception. As
Newsweekreported, Kirby came "under fire for his apparent hesitation to link Iran to Shia militias operating in Iraq and launching attacks against U.S. and allied troops." The Pentagon's comments blaming attacks on "Shia-backed militias" are reflective of some mistaken—and dangerous—assumptions.
There is no such thing as a "Shia-backed militia." It was both bizarre and offensive for Kirby to imply that adherents of an entire religious sect—with an estimated 150-200 million followers worldwide—support the actions of these militias, which are in fact backed by the Islamic Republic of Iran.