“The trouble is that the Sunnis are on the march, thanks to Bush and Obama’s foreign policies favoring Sunnis over Shias. I don’t see how we can weaken Iran and maintain ME stability”
That’s all backwards. Saddam was Sunni and Iranian leadership is Shia. Iraq’s democratic policies benefitted Iraqi Shia due to their 60% population majority while disenfranchising the Sunnis. Which is why Iraqi Sunnis supported the insurgency.
If it’s the Shia you’re worried about they’re poorly organized outside the Iranian-backed terrorist organizations. No Iranian Shia leadership, no Iranian-backed Hezbollah, Quds, Mahdi, etc. They follow the money.
Bush’s foreign policy didn’t begin or end with Iraq. Recall that it was mainly SA Sunnis that flew their planes into our buildings. Neither side is our “friend” and Obama has made things worse, but take a look at the ME and you’ll see Islamists who are mainly Sunni working to choke off the Shia. That’s not a good thing for us in the end, that is a resurgent and united Sunni empire.