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What freedom fighters of various stripes wish to gain in Iraq should be obvious. Everything.

In most human history, concepts like nationalism had little appeal. Most loyalty was to individuals, to people of the same religion, or to people of the same tribal and ethnic background. This was obvious in places like Somalia and Congo/Zaire, which were originally propped up by Cold War money. The warlords of Somalia dominate a network of clans, which organizes the defense of their own land. By getting national power, they could influence policies that affected their clients and gain access to the resources of the state.

The 1980s saw a reduction in Cold War investment to Somalia from America and Russia, along with an oil price boom. The Somalian government lost resources that they used to distribute that the local warlords or "ethnic elites", to use the polite term, coveted. When drought came to the region, these warlods broke into the public warehouses and then invaded the farmlands of grain-growing regions in the south, causing war.

The accumulation of wealth, the ability to dispense titles and land, the ability to amass an army, access to vital natural resources, access to international organizatoins and power, these are what the nation-state makes available to whoever controls it. While it's not economically in the best interests of a country to have war, it is in the best interests of elites and certain groups to have their side dominate the war and resources.

Justifying why it should be done through religion has never been hard. Religious differences in the Sunni/Shi'ites led to rival factions fighting each other in the Crusade period, which groups like the Hospitallers and Templars used to their advantage. Whether or not it's "correct" is moot, all religion is based upon interpretation.

The Shi'ites see a chance to gain oil fields in Iraq, gain access to oil fields in Saudi Arabia, and unite power with Iran to become a regional hegemonic power. With this, certain clans, Immans, and families would profit greatly. When faced with the prospect of unlimited power, it's not hard to understand why there's fighting.

Learn more about this author, Michael Soileau.
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