UN Ambassador Khalilzad: Mideast instability could lead to world war; Says could be 10-20 years before Iraq 'in a position to stand on its own feet'

Above: Some 900 weapons makers and security firms from around the world, including the U.S., competed for military customers at the IDEX arms expo in Abu Dhabi in February.

Upheaval in the Middle East and Islamic civilisation could cause another world war, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad was quoted as saying in an Austrian newspaper interview published on Monday...

"Europe was just as dysfunctional for a while. And some of its wars became world wars. Now the problems of the Middle East and Islamic civilisation have the same potential to engulf the world," he was quoted as saying...

"They started late. They don't have a consensus on their concept. Some believe they should return to the time (6th-7th century) of the Prophet Mohammad," he was quoted as saying...

"Iraq will not be in a position to stand on its own feet for a longer period," he said in the interview.

Asked whether that could be 10-20 years, he said: "Yes, indeed, it could last that long. What form the help takes will depend a lot on the Iraqis. Up to now there is no accord between Iraq and the United States about a longer military presence."

Read the rest at Reuters

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