Iraq

Following the U.S. invasion to remove Saddam, Iraq was a chaotic location where sectarian feuding, long beneath the surface, came to light. This was prompted by the loss of opportunities for many Sunnis after the U.S. dissolved the Baath Party and Saddam's army, but was further prodded by Zarqawi's attacks, aimed at provoking Shia-Sunni conflict. Zarqawi both provoked and was undone by additional societal rifts in Iraq, namely between the cities and tribal outskirts, where residents were particularly distrustful of outsiders, be it Americans or Iranians.

Syria

Much like Iraq, Syria is a country where sectarian rifts had been suppressed by a secular dictatorship, but a chaotic event (a civil war in Syria's case) proved that these divisions remain relevant. Once exposed, they made Syria all but ungovernable, as the minority population, with its control over the government and military, could neither conquer or be...