So this is troubling

Baghdad in State of Emergency After Supporters of al Sadr Storm Green Zone

If you have been reading for awhile, I was very opposed to the Iraq war, and while no admirer of Saddam Hussein, I worried about the destabilisation of the region and the number of people (Iraqi, American, and others) who would die. It's actually a war I predicted the night George W. Bush was first elected, long before 9/11.

So anyway, I wasn't for toppling the Iraqi government and putting in one after years of war, but I also never thought we got the job we apparently set out to do far enough along to stabilise the region, hence the problems between Sunnis and Shi'ites, the Islamic State incursions, all that.

I do support democracy, and believe the people should have a true say in their leaders--not determined by warlords, or clerics, for that matter. I'll admit I don't know enough about the parties involved to know who would be better. I will try to educate myself on that. But...I fear for chaos and death, and my thoughts are with the people of Iraq tonight, for the foreigners stationed there in embassies, humanitarian groups, and yes, the military. Despite being anti-war, I am a staunch supporter of our military men and women--I was raised in the Air Force, after all, the child of the Vietnam War.

I do wish there were more effort among the Middle Eastern and Gulf nations to stabilise the area of Iraq and Syria. Western meddling is certainly not appreciated, but it just seems to me that most of those nations in the area are concerned about their own goals and not about making the area better for everyone.