High stakes chess

Implications of a Shi'ite Victory in Iraq - Ze'ev Schiff

It is hard to escape the conclusion that if Arabs and Muslims can be so cruel to one another, imagine what they are capable of doing to others.

[I]f an American pullout from Iraq is interpreted by the Arabs as a sign of American defeat, we can look forward to a radical Arab shift that will strengthen all the extremists around us.
(Ha'aretz)