By Neil W. McCabe

In this space I have weighed in on our liberation of the Iraqi People and eight-
year war to prop up that new democracy. I am convinced we abandoned the Iraqis because the Left’s hatred of President George W. Bush and the goal of his successor, President Barack Obama, to realigned our interests with those of Iran.

In Libya and Egypt we toppled dictators opposed to Iranian ambitions and for the first time in three decades, Iranian ships ply the Suez Canal. In Afghanistan, we will shag out of town and the Iranians will be free to pick up the pieces there.

Then, we come to Syria. Not only has Obama unsuccessfully pressed for the Iranians to sit in on the talks between the rebels and their client Bashir Assad, the president has rope-a-doped the effort to topple the Syrian regime, giving it two years to shore itself up—when, it seemed on the verge of collapse two years ago.

With Iranian para-militaries and regulars in Lebanon, Iranian navy ships in the Mediterranean Sea and logistics skybridge over Iraqi airspace, the only flank giving the Iran-Syria axis trouble is the Sunni rebels from Syria linking up with Al Qaeda in Iraq in Anbar province.

Now, comes word that America has to return to Iraq—to back up the Iraqi Army as it clears out Anbar.

Seems like the dream scenario. For the Shiites running Iraq, the Anbar Sunnis get knocked down a peg and for Obama it is one more building block in his dream of Iran and the United States fighting side-by-side—this time bolstering a “reformed” Assad regime.

From the very beginning of this current administration has blindsided, betrayed Israel—and Israel should be worried.

A quick look at how Obama does business shows that once he makes a decision, he sticks to it full-on without distraction and without reflection. Obama does not like Israel and his one friend in the world, Iran, wants Israel destroyed, so what do you think is going to happen?

Oh, and Israel? Sorry, Kid, we are taking the dive.

In Washington, the president can rely on the Republicans to carry the ball for him, as Democrats worried about 2014 and beyond race for the lifeboats.

On the world stage, Obama does not have the luxury of pliant Republicans.

The world might not want to be restructured by an American-Iranian alliance.

Already, the Obama and Iranian partner in Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood, has been tossed by Egyptian Army, supported by Saudi Arabia and its new best friend Israel.

France, whom Obama calls America’s oldest ally, is actually critical of Obama’s coziness with Iran. That is not to say the French are sincere, but they not only calling us soft and making friends with Israel.

It is in Iraq, however, where the president’s plans will meet with disappointment. Everyone knows by heart that in Iraq the fight is between Sunni and Shiite factions. What everyone does not appreciate that religion is just one layer. The layer below religion is the tribes, which are nearly all of mixed sects and the layer above religion is ethnicity.

It was on the tribal level that Gen. David H. Petraeus engineered the Sons of Iraq portion of the Surge.

But, it is on the ethnicity level that Obama will get tripped up. Yes, Iraq is majority Shiite and minority Sunni, but except for the Kurds and the Turks, both sects are Arabs.

Arabs do not want to be controlled or dominated by Persians.

Iranians are Persians.

In Iraq, Iran is getting away with what it is getting away with for now, but only for now. But, it will not continue. Three years ago, America was central to the emerging of an Iraqi identity based on this shared Arab-ness to the exclusion to Iranian-Persian influence. In this process, tribal and religious life were separated by from civil government, establishing a modern sustaining construct.

Now, we are returning to Iraq and all that we built and sacrificed for is lost to winds. Instead of returning to restore that construct, we partnering with the further integration of Iraq’s role as an Iranian client state. Furthermore, the immediate purpose of our return is to bolster the Assad regime east flank.

America, strap in.