In the last 48 hours, terrorists have targeted the Shiite-Allawite and Shiite regimes of Damascus and Baghdad. Friday, Dec. 23, twin suicide car bombings hit Syrian state security buildings in Damascus left at least 53 dead and a 100 injured. Thursday in Baghdad, 15 explosions killed 70 people and injured more than 200. Tehran backs both Bashar Assad and Nouri al-Maliki. This outbreak of violence may trigger local civil wars. It raises the stakes in the Sunni-Shiite regional contest spiraling since US troops exited Iraq.