To recap some recent history the first free Iraqi elections took place in 2005 and led to a certain amount internal fighting between dissident groups called sectarian since they were represented by different fractions of Muslims. The Surge that followed in 2007 and 2008 quieted things down and the rest of the Middle East took note. It is my contention that the purple thumbs were the impetus for the so called Arab Spring. The first of these revolts took place in neighboring Iran when in 2009 the people took to the streets to protest. Unfortunately the United States sat quietly by and the regime was able to squelch the uprising. The next event was the Algerian revolution in early 2010 and this was closely followed by Libya and Egypt and we are now witnessing the revolt in Syria.
I am not sure why news people have not connected the dots between the elections in Iraq and the Arab Spring but to me it is more than coincidence. Perhaps more time is required as is sometimes the case when it comes to historical events.
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