It seems Russia knows how to use the Shia / Sunni divide which seems to confuse the State Dept. After all these years of both Bush and Obama I have seen no policy (since I am a foreign policy geek and read on this a lot) that ever seemed to recognize the divide. Is it because in the USA we keep the myth of a melting pot and want to see the world that way also? Force Sunni Iraq to live side by side with Shia Iraqi? The Kurds?
You're right. And the State Department is always in a state of confusion regards differences in factions in the Middle East. Not just the U.S.A., this has been the case for many decades in the thinking of Western powers. Those national borders inflicted on Middle Eastern nations by Western powers make little sense to factions living there. Iraq, Syria and other nations were artificially held together, and Obama is the trigger on blowing it all apart. Like Humpty Dumpty falling and breaking, our State Department is in confusion and thinks they can put Humpty Dumpty back together again - won't happen. Russia is smarter, yet to be seen what their goals are.