**SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 27: A new study of the Rand Corporation - a leading US think tank - advocates that Sunni, Shia and Arab, non-Arab divides should be exploited to promote the US policy objectives in the Muslim world. **
The recently released Rand study - titled “US Strategy in the Muslim World After 9/11” - has been conducted on behalf of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, US Air Force.
**One of the primary objective of the study was to “identify the key cleavages and fault lines among sectarian, ethnic, regional, and national lines and to assess how these cleavages generate challenges and opportunities for the United States.” **
The Study pointed out that the majority of the world’s Muslims are Sunni, but a significant minority, about 15 per cent of the global Muslim population, are Shias. It went on to say that the expectations of Iraqi Shia for a greater say in the governance of their country presents an opportunity for the United States to align its policy with Shia aspirations for greater freedom of religious and political expression, in Iraq and elsewhere.
It believes that a Shia government in Iraq will increase their ability to help their brethren in Saudi Arabia. “Such expectations could present an opportunity for the United States to align its policy with Shia aspirations for greater freedom of religious and political expression and a say in their own affairs in countries controlled by others.”
On the division between the Arab and the non-Arab worlds, the study pointed out: "Arabs constitute only about 20 per cent of the world’s Muslims, yet interpretations of Islam, political and otherwise, are often filtered through an Arab lens.
The study even suggested that there should be government appointed and paid professional imams in all mosques to suppress anti-Western and anti-American feelings.
“The struggle in the Muslim world is essentially a war of ideas, the outcome of which will determine the future direction of the Muslim world and profoundly affect vital US security interests,” she added.
In March 2003, the Rand Corporation released a report - titled “Civil Democratic Islam: Partners, Resources, and Strategies” - that called for supporting the modernists Muslims against “fundamentalists and traditionalists” and promoting Sufism to formulate a “market economy” version of Islam.
Differences among Muslims be exploited: US study’s recommendation
Interesting bombs going off in Iraq targetting shias and sunnis ring any bells guess who has the biggest terrorist organisation in the middle east which could assasinate potential opponents and set of bombs where they please to cause maximum chaos yep da finger points to United States Military !