This is with reference to the article “US attempt to salvage Iraq might be too late” (June 25) by Osama Al-Sharif. The situation in the Middle East is getting grimmer by the minute. There is so much confusion that it is difficult to differentiate between truth and falsehood. The sudden emergence of the self-ascribed Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and its subsequent gains in Iraq is a big question mark.

It seems that Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki, in a bid to prolong his grip on power, deliberately turned a blind eye to the unrest brewing in Al-Anbar and other areas. I find it very strange that a well-trained army is unable to fight a few thousand militants and what astounds me more is the call on Shiites to take to arms. This is nothing but a sure shot recipe for a sectarian war. It appears as if Al-Maliki was preparing the ground for such a scenario that is fast emerging in Iraq. I shudder with the thought of the consequences of a civil war fought on sectarian lines. If, God forbid, a civil war breaks out in Iraq it will be difficult to contain and will spill over to other parts of the region. We already have Syrian crisis to deal with, which has been very tactfully transformed from a revolution to a fight with sectarian overtones.

The US hesitance is understandable. If, as many analysts claim, the ISIL is just a part of a bigger Sunni uprising then by targeting ISIL and its partners, the US will risk taking sides and it will only add to the woes of Iraq and the region. Unfortunately, Washington under President George Bush did not foresee the consequences of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The invasion aimed at “liberating” Iraqis has pushed the entire country into an apparently never-ending crisis.

The problem with the US and other western powers is that they wish to impose their version of democracy on other countries without proper knowledge of that nation’s social and traditional fabric. They fail to realize that it took the West a long time to devise this political system. How do they expect to export and implement the same ideals in months? It is an evolutionary process. Most Muslim countries have gained independence from colonial powers a few decades ago. It will take time to set things straight and to move away from the dark shadows of colonialism.