Re: Was the United States somewhat complicit in creating the conditions for ISIl's genocide of Iraqi Christians and Yazidis
Don't forget that ISIL also persecuted the Shiites, in both Syria and Iraq. Only the victims of the massacres in Camp Speicher and Badush prison numbered several hundreds. Regarding the role of the United States in the rise of ISIL and their subsequent genocidal campaigns, it is indeed true that destabilisation in Iraq and Syria was crucial for the strengthening of Sunni jihadists. After the invasion of Iraq and the demolishment of the state administration, religious extremists obviously prospered in the accidentally created chaos. Similarly in Syria, by undermining the efforts of the sovereign government and equipping/financing rebel groups, including religiously orientated fighters, Washington also indirectly contributed to ISIL's resurgence. Moreover, the crimes committed by the American regular army and the foreign mercenaries fuelled radicalism and sectarianism, while American firms played an active role in the corruption scandals, which decreased the efficiency of the Iraqi Army.
However, by that reasoning, we can blame almost every state and regime, past and present, that intervenes or intervened in the affairs of the Middle East, for being a factor to ISIL's crimes against humanity. For example, Riyadh has supported, materially and ideologically Sunni extremism in Iraq and Syria, Damascus' authoritarianism and ruthlessness led to the gradual polarisation of the Syrian society and even Baathist Iraq is largely responsible for the conditions that later created a friendly environment for the growth of militant Salafism. Therefore, although I agree that we should not ignore America's negative influence towards the peace and prosperity of the Fertile Crescent, overestimating them isn't accurate either and and may lead to the common mistake of neglecting the significance of domestic factors.