Iraq in Pieces: Breaking Up to Stay Together

Today, the Iraqi army has all but collapsed, despite some $25 billion in US assistance. Shiite militants who have sworn allegiance to Iran's supreme leader operate with impunity. And the Islamic State dominates more than a third of Iraq and half of Syria. The next president of the White House can choose to avoid the mistakes of his or her predecessors by refusing to unconditionally empower corrupt and divisive Iraqi leaders in the hope that they will somehow create a stable, prosperous country. If Iraq continues on its current downward spiral, Washington should accept the fractious reality on the ground, abandon its fixation with artificial borders, and start allowing the various parts of Iraq and Syria to embark on the journey to self-determination. That process would no doubt be rocky and even bloody, but at this point, it represents the best chance of containing the sectarian violence and protecting the remainder of the Middle East from still further chaos.