On the Iraq war being over, I would have doubted it before yesterday when I started reading George Friedman's new book, The Next 100 Years. He would be the first to say that his predictions at a granular level are often wrong but that his methodology is a decent way of understanding how the world works and what might happen next.
Anyway, he states that the current war in Iraq (and perhaps Afghanistan) (against the "Islamist Jihadists" as he calls them, revealing more about his politics than is necessary) is not going to be a priority for the next 10-20 years. The primary purpose was to destabilize the region, not win the "war on terror", which certainly seems to have worked.
The next conflict, as he sees it, will be with Russia as it once again tries to gain greater access to the Atlantic, becoming another global power with access to both oceans.
I'm not well-informed enough to do more than repeat what I've read so far, but it is a thought-provoking thesis. And recommended reading.
Anyway, he states that the current war in Iraq (and perhaps Afghanistan) (against the "Islamist Jihadists" as he calls them, revealing more about his politics than is necessary) is not going to be a priority for the next 10-20 years. The primary purpose was to destabilize the region, not win the "war on terror", which certainly seems to have worked.
The next conflict, as he sees it, will be with Russia as it once again tries to gain greater access to the Atlantic, becoming another global power with access to both oceans.
I'm not well-informed enough to do more than repeat what I've read so far, but it is a thought-provoking thesis. And recommended reading.