Actual surprises in the Middle East... maybe Newt Gingrich is wrong

While some things in the Middle East seem to never change, there were recently two significant turns of events in the region, as reported by the New York Times:

1. Sectarian violence has gotten so bad in Iraq that the Sunnis want U.S. troops to stay.
2. Some Arab states denounce Hezbollah's actions.

The latter, I think, is quite huge. On one hand, it simply shows the diversity of Southwest Asia, and reminds us of the rifts that often occur between Persians and Arabs. It is not a region one can paint with a single brush, despite some common enemies and a mostly common religion. (Of course, Syrians are generally not Persians, but the article indicates the Gulf/Arab states are worried about Iranian influence.) On the other hand, as the article says, it is quite rare for Arab states to criticize anyone who is fighting Israel.

A caveat is that the leadership of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and several Persian Gulf states may have criticized Hezbollah, but we know that leaders of those countries do not always speak for the majority. Still, it's nice to see discussion and divergent points of view.

Perhaps we're not on the way to World War III, as Newt Gingrich explicity said we are.

Note: Gingrich encourages Republicans to adopt a similar stance - because he says the party will benefit from the perception that we're in a third World War.