Iraq war III not a viable option

AGAINST the backdrop of the growing instability and violence in Iraq, US President Barack Obama has been under growing pressure at home and abroad to come to the aid of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki whose government is fighting for its survival against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) insurgents who have already taken control of parts of the country.

The problem is that considering the realities on the ground in Iraq, it's difficult to imagine that the United States could bring an end anytime soon to what has become for all practical purposes a civil war between Arab…