[Olog-hai]

If they had “bled each other white”, there would have been no Islamic Republic today. Both Saddam Hussein (Sunni) and Bashar Assad (Alawite Shiite) were/are Ba’athists; more than conceivable that he was a go-between for the two egos in Baghdad and Tehran. All parties concerned were friendlier with each other than they pretended to be vis-à-vis the West.

[skeeter]

The war cost both side a half a million soldiers and caused great economic damage. I'm just speculating but I doubt very much Iran would have much energy for international intrigue if such a war was ongoing today.

Exactly how would a war between the shiites & sunnis benefit radical Islam, again?

[gusty]

The Assads have been enemies of Saddam Hussein even before the Iran-Iraq War. Syria and Iraq used hit squads against each others diplomats back in the 70’s. . Yes they were both Baathists, and so the conflict. With fascists dictators from the same political party there can be only one leader, and there’s the rub.