--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The U.S. cannot force Sunnis, Shias, and…" description: "\"The U.S. cannot force Sunnis, Shias, and Kurds to make peace or to act for the common good. They have been in conflict for 1,400 years.\" — Peter DeFazio" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83d/peter-defazio-23397_common_the-u-s-cannot-force-sunnis-shias-and-ku_794046.jpg" --- # The U.S. cannot force Sunnis, Shias, and Kurds to make… ![“The U.S. cannot force Sunnis, Shias, and Kurds to make peace or to act for the common good. They have been in conflict for 1,400 years.” quote by Peter DeFazio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83d/peter-defazio-23397_common_the-u-s-cannot-force-sunnis-shias-and-ku_794046.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83d/peter-defazio-23397_common_the-u-s-cannot-force-sunnis-shias-and-ku_794046.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83d/peter-defazio-23397_common_the-u-s-cannot-force-sunnis-shias-and-ku_794046.jpg) > “The U.S. cannot force Sunnis, Shias, and Kurds to make peace or to act for the common good. They have been in conflict for 1,400 years.” [Peter DeFazio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-defazio/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He argues that external powers cannot compel deeply rooted ethnic and religious groups to achieve peace or cooperate for shared benefits. **In simple terms:** You can’t force peace on groups with centuries‑old conflicts. Key Takeaway Recognize limits of external influence. Themes conflict ethnicity politics peacebuilding Mood cautious hopeful Type political strategic When to use this quote - diplomatic negotiations - regional policy - humanitarian aid Key Concepts realpolitik historical grievances Questions to Reflect On - What alternative approaches could foster lasting peace? - How can external actors support without imposing? A Different Perspective Peace efforts often need grassroots reconciliation, not top‑down mandates. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Common good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-good/) [Conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Kurds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kurds/) [Making peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-peace/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Shia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shia/) ## Related quotes > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [If the Americans attack Iran for the first time in 1,400 years, we may unite Sunnis and Shias against us. So I guess there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/if-the-americans-attack-iran-for-the-first-time-in-1-400-years-we-may/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [Sunnis consider Shias a pack of unwholesome fanatics and Shias consider Sunnis a gang of lukewarm no-goods - there's nothing like religion for spreading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dervla-murphy/sunnis-consider-shias-a-pack-of-unwholesome-fanatics-and-shias/) [Dervla Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dervla-murphy/) > [Iraqi national identity under Saddam Hussein never truly incorporated Shiites or Kurds. Sunnis, who identified most closely with the Iraqi nation, remain in some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-feldman/iraqi-national-identity-under-saddam-hussein-never-truly-incorporated/) [Noah Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-feldman/) > [Unfortunately, the source of all this conflict between the Sunnis and Shia is some major powers that do not want religious unity amongst Muslims.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yousef-saanei/unfortunately-the-source-of-all-this-conflict-between-the-sunnis-and/) [Yousef Saanei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yousef-saanei/) > [Critics of the war plans (including myself) have pointed to the disastrous political results that must be expected: Iraq would break into three parts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uri-avnery/critics-of-the-war-plans-including-myself-have-pointed-to-the/) [Uri Avnery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uri-avnery/) > [To move any regime you need to have co-operation and co-ordination between Kurds, Shia Arabs, Sunni Arabs, the people and the army. Until we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jalal-talabani/to-move-any-regime-you-need-to-have-co-operation-and-co-ordination/) [Jalal Talabani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jalal-talabani/) > [The Arabs are victims. You have Shia Arabs, under Arabization under Saddam Hussein, who were forcibly moved up there... You have Kurds who were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-t-odierno/the-arabs-are-victims-you-have-shia-arabs-under-arabization-under/) Raymond T. Odierno > [It is important to understand that there are two separate battles taking place in Iraq: there is the political rift between the Sunnis, Shia…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-important-to-understand-that-there-are-two-separate-battles/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Just as certain Cold War binaries were collapsing, new binaries of Sunni versus Shia or Arab versus Kurd were being created by the new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-colla/just-as-certain-cold-war-binaries-were-collapsing-new-binaries-of/) [Elliott Colla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-colla/) > [What we would be committed to would be a representative government where all the Iraqi people decide who should lead their nation, and lead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/what-we-would-be-committed-to-would-be-a-representative-government/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [At the end of the day...if your army won't fight, it's because they don't trust their incompetent, corrupt generals, they don't trust each other.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-mccaffrey/at-the-end-of-the-day-if-your-army-won-t-fight-it-s-because-they-don/) [Barry McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-mccaffrey/) > [Turkey is saying that it wants to preserve Sunni dominance in Mosul. Obviously, there, the Kurds, the Shia, the Iraqi government have their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/turkey-is-saying-that-it-wants-to-preserve-sunni-dominance-in-mosul/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [There is no military solution to the war in Iraq. Our troops can help suppress the violence, but they cannot solve its root causes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/there-is-no-military-solution-to-the-war-in-iraq-our-troops-can-help/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [There is a difference between Iraq, where you have Sunni, Shia, and Kurds put together after the First World War by the Western powers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/there-is-a-difference-between-iraq-where-you-have-sunni-shia-and/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) ## More by Peter DeFazio > [The U.S. cannot impose freedom, security, and unity in Iraq by force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-defazio/the-u-s-cannot-impose-freedom-security-and-unity-in-iraq-by-force/) [Peter DeFazio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-defazio/) > [It was Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda who attacked the U.S. on September 11, 2001, not Saddam Hussein and Iraq.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-defazio/it-was-osama-bin-laden-and-al-qaeda-who-attacked-the-u-s-on-september/) [Peter DeFazio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-defazio/) > [About 75 percent of the crude oil marketed here is sold off the books, and they are doing trades that would be illegal if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-defazio/about-75-percent-of-the-crude-oil-marketed-here-is-sold-off-the-books/) [Peter DeFazio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-defazio/) > [Saddam Hussein was a brutal tyrant. I am glad he is now on trial for crimes against humanity. But, opposition to a dictator is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-defazio/saddam-hussein-was-a-brutal-tyrant-i-am-glad-he-is-now-on-trial-for/) [Peter DeFazio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-defazio/) > [In addition to a timeline, I have proposed that U.S. troops be removed from front line combat positions in Iraqi cities and towns, turning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-defazio/in-addition-to-a-timeline-i-have-proposed-that-u-s-troops-be-removed/) [Peter DeFazio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-defazio/) > [Insecurity is failing the American people miserably.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-defazio/insecurity-is-failing-the-american-people-miserably/) [Peter DeFazio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-defazio/) > [Of the 55 refineries closed in America in the last 10 years, they were all closed for economic reasons, mostly oil company mergers. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-defazio/of-the-55-refineries-closed-in-america-in-the-last-10-years-they-were/) [Peter DeFazio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-defazio/) > [First off, the crude oil market, unlike every other commodity in America, is virtually unregulated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-defazio/first-off-the-crude-oil-market-unlike-every-other-commodity-in/) [Peter DeFazio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-defazio/) > [Nor should the U.S. military be forced to remain in Iraq essentially as an army for one side of a civil war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-defazio/nor-should-the-u-s-military-be-forced-to-remain-in-iraq-essentially/) [Peter DeFazio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-defazio/) > [The U.S. must renounce any U.S. interest in constructing permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-defazio/the-u-s-must-renounce-any-u-s-interest-in-constructing-permanent-u-s/) [Peter DeFazio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-defazio/) > [The training and equipping of Iraqi security forces should be accelerated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-defazio/the-training-and-equipping-of-iraqi-security-forces-should-be/) [Peter DeFazio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-defazio/) > [To the contrary, I believe the U.S. military has already done all that has been asked of them. Saddam Hussein is on trial. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-defazio/to-the-contrary-i-believe-the-u-s-military-has-already-done-all-that/) [Peter DeFazio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-defazio/) > [Similarly, establishing a firm timeline for bringing our troops home could accelerate the development of Iraqi security forces and deepen their commitment to defending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-defazio/similarly-establishing-a-firm-timeline-for-bringing-our-troops-home/) [Peter DeFazio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-defazio/) > [But they are not going to take on Big Oil because Big Oil is very generous at campaign time, and this is all about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-defazio/but-they-are-not-going-to-take-on-big-oil-because-big-oil-is-very/) [Peter DeFazio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-defazio/) > [In crude oil trading, we have seen a 46 percent increase over 1 year in the margins there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-defazio/in-crude-oil-trading-we-have-seen-a-46-percent-increase-over-1-year/) [Peter DeFazio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-defazio/) [Explore all 26 Peter DeFazio quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-defazio/) ## More Common quotes > [I'm Fine!, the most common LIE in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/i-m-fine-the-most-common-lie-in-the-world/) [Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/) > [A flourishing, morally credible media is a vital component in the maintenance of genuinely public talk, argument about common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/a-flourishing-morally-credible-media-is-a-vital-component-in-the/) [Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/) > [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. 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