Redrawing the Middle East

Update: Kurdistan is on its way
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Cartography links to an interesting article in Armed Forces Journal proposing a redrawn Middle East. The premise is that, like Africa, the artificial borders and states are only making things worse. I will let you read the article to get Ralph Peters take on what the Middle East should look like. Catholicgauze has his own idea.



The above map is based on Mr. Peters' work. My changes and thoughts are as follows.

Sunni Iraq and the West Bank (and possibly Gaza) should be given to Jordan. Jordan has proven to be a working partner for a tolerant (or "maybe all infidels shouldn't die") Middle East. Iraqi Sunnis once served Hashemite kings and the Sunnis may learn to love Abdullah II as their protector. The Jordan has already made peace with Israel and has proven track record of suppressing Palestinian terrorism. The constitutional monarchy framework would be a reasonable compromise for the Middle East.

Arabia should be freed from Saudi tyranny. The thuggish family has done harm to the region and the rest of the world. With them gone, the loss of the oil fields and the holy sites, Arabia would turn into a tribal style government sort of like Afghanistan (it worked well before the Soviets invaded).

Mecca and Medina should become a sort of super-Vatican ruled by a council from the various branches of Islam. While this will lead to problems a Caliphate could not work because all sides would want the Caliph to follow their beliefs. Compromising is necessary.

Syria should lose the Golan Heights and parts of Kurdistan but be allowed to keep port cities on the Mediterranean. If the Baathist can be driven off without Muslim Brotherhood taking over, Syria could be another pre-civil war Lebanon.

Lebanon should stay as is. Sunnis, Christians, and Druze get along fine but the Shia need to be contained. If that can be accomplished Lebanon can once again have the Paris of the East.

Iran can lose some of the ethnic lands but gain former Persian lands. The students of Iran have pro-American sympathies and do enjoy parts of Western culture. The Mullahs must be destroyed.

Shia Iraq could be a more traditional Iran. They may not like the United States but would not hate it either. To make this happen Moqtada al-Sadr must die.

Finally, the crème de la crop, Israel. The Golan Heights are now settled with Israelis and not Arabs. That goes to Israel. In exchange they give up the mostly Arab lands of Gaza and the West Bank with some minor adjustments.

Category: Maps, Geopolitics