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The political roots of the Anbar crisis

The current crisis in Iraq’s Anbar province can only be solved through a political solution.
A Sunni Muslim fighter looks at a burning police vehicle during clashes in Ramadi January 2, 2014. Sunni Muslim fighters clashed on Thursday with Iraqi troops trying to regain control of two western cities, in a serious escalation of their confrontation with the Shi'ite-led government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. Tension has been running high in the Sunni-dominated province of Anbar since Iraqi police broke up a Sunni protest camp on Monday, leaving at least 13 people dead.  REUTERS/Ali al-Mashhadani (
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More than 40 days since the start of the Anbar battles in western Iraq, the financial and human losses thus far are yet unknown. What has been revealed, however, is that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki agreed to discuss a “peaceful” political solution to the crisis.

The question that ought to be raised today concerns the erroneous analyses that preceded and caused the crisis.

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