Saudi Arabia’s proposed grand alliance against the ISIS was right from the beginning on shaky ground. The same goes for the western alliance against the most vicious threat to world peace. And the ISIS is backed by the despicable Al-Qaida. The hurdle now appears to be Iran which has no reason to be pro-ISIS especially after its civilian nuclear deal with the US and other western powers. The new year began with Saudi Arabia announcing the execution of 47 terrorists with Al-Qaida connection. Among them was Saudi Shia leader Nimr al-Nimr. Nimr al-Nimr was earlier a harbinger of the Arab Spring inspiring Shia groups in Saudi Arabia. His execution has put Shia-dominated Iran on the warpath. The Shia-Sunni divide got the better of the war on bloodthirsty terrorism. The Saudi Arabian embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashad in north-east Iran were attacked by protestors. Diplomatic ties between the two countries have been snapped striking a strong blow against the Saudi grand design targeting terror.
Saudi Arabia’s intention in executing terrorists is to wean its people away from terrorism. Controversy rages for decades over the death penalty. If it can be advocated in the extremest of extreme cases, terrorists who do not attach the slightest value to human lives should be a prime target. Tehran’s sectarian countermove can only be counterproductive. The emphasis has to be on the fixing of priorities. In West Asia, the annihilation of the ISIS and al-Qaida rests largely on the two major powers-Iran and Saudi Arabia-acting in concert. The sectarian divide has already caused ripples in Iraq, Lebanon and even Bahrain. The al-Qaida killers are baying for blood. Syria and Yemen are devastated by internal schism and the present development can hardly be welcome. Differences between the US and Russia over the issue have also driven the quest for peace to the backseat.