Less noticed, however, has been how the near-total defeat of IS is reshaping political and sectarian alliances in the region. The rise and fall of IS has had a sobering and unifying effect on relationships between Sunnis and Shia. Nor does a Shia backlash against Sunnis seem imminent given Shia recognition of Sunni suffering in the IS-occupied cities. Many observers believe the pursuit of sectarian policies at the expense of Iraqi Sunnis -- as systematically practised under the former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki -- expedited the rise of IS. The outreach can also signal to Iraq's Sunni minority that the Baghdad government is not an Iranian stooge.

Source: Bangkok Post October 26, 2017 20:26 UTC