The Russian ambassador to Turkey was assassinated. There was an attack from a bus on a Christmas market in Germany. Islamic terror haunts the world. The geo-political interests of West Asian countries clash, especially that of Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia. The US and Russia have intervened only to aggravate the crisis. Russia may have militarily intervened to prevent the Islamic State from capturing Syria. The assassination of the Russian ambassador has thrown the country headlong into the conflict. Russia is becoming a target of Sunni Muslim violence. The attack in West Germany was perhaps prompted by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision to allow a million West Asian refugees to enter Germany. There is besides sectarian conflict in the Arab world. The Islamic State is thirsting for blood. Aleppo in Syria is besieged and the humanitarian crisis indicates the malady afflicting West Asia.
Creating a stable political structure in West Asia cannot be done by one country in the region nor can an international alliance achieve it. It is to be hoped that terrorist attacks and the tragedy of Aleppo can prompt western powers and West Asian countries to abandon the scorched earth policy of the embattled nations. The assassination of the Russian ambassador has brought Turkey and Russia, enemies of the past,close together. Such a turn of events may lead to a healthy alignment of major powers to tackle the West Asian crisis.