The Need for World Stability has local implications

Several reports have just circulated about conflicts within a single country's boundaries or beyond.

1) Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki appealed to President Obama for military hardware.  The situation in Iraq appears close to another civil conflict between Muslim sects--Sunni and Shiite.  During the period of US occupation, the strife was controlled, but now is again looming. The Prime Minister seems to think all he needs from the US is helicopters, for now, thinking that his own military can devise strategies for restraining the combatant groups.

I agree with Senator ("no boots on the ground")McCain, should he be arguing for US military involvement in an advisory capacity.  No doubt, there needs to be developed strategies that work to cope with the violence, particularly in the cities; and I would think it would require consultation of the Iraqi military with the US military; and together with the Iranians.   Bring back US military conspicuous presence short of ground troops?

2)  In the Kashmir, there yet continues the dispute between India and Pakistan, leading to shelling occurrences over the Indian rule.  Over the years, I've talked with Indians who claim that the Muslims in the area really want the land to remain Indian.  This controversy cannot be resolved when the deep-seated social differences between the Muslims and those of other religions in the area are glossed over for the sake of maintaining control of that rich agrarian land.  But, who's to act as arbiter? 

3)  In the US, the immigration pending legislation appears to be held up over the issue of vouchsafing that the borders to the South are secure from penetration by foreigners.  Some legislators want independent certification by an outside, impartial body after thorough investigation, course.

In my opinion, no better evaluator of border security than the US military, itself!

4)  As noted per country on an update-basis--Nigeria, Somalia, Yemen, and just until recently,  the Congo--Africa is yet ablaze in conflict (added to its notorious problem of corruption of officials in government--except in Westernized South Africa).

While China evidently approaches the Continent as a goldmine for natural resource development, it nonetheless must seemingly deal with the problem of insurrectionist violence.  It has been able to work with the Sudanese government to lay claim to its oil; and so may think it competent to overcome social problems sufficiently to meet its strategic goal for natural resource trade. By establishing colonies on the Continent it may have alighted upon a smart way to lure trading partners on the Continent.  Still it doesn't have the military presence to bring about change in social structures on its own.  Anything it could significantly accomplish would seem to be a long way off.

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What appears absent in these reports of struggles among opposing, sometimes hostile parties, is the presence of some outside mediating agency to prompt these factions to work together in finding a solution or in coming upon a strategy of handling the conflict that meets the needs of the people who are caught in a struggle, yet not participant in it.