Nothing To See Here...Move Along!

So the Shiites hate the Sunnis.

This isn't really surprising, but a lot of people don't understand why. The Arab Sunnis are a minority population in Iraq (about 20%), yet they were closely allied with Saddam Hussein while he was still in power. The Sunnis ran most everything and often used violence as a means to keep the majority Shiites (and Kurds) in line. Now the tables have turned and in the new government the Sunnis have a minority voice and are believed to comprise a large part of the insurgency.

The unrest between the two sects is partly religious, but mostly political. Although both divisions believe in the basic tenets of the Koran the shortest possible explanation for their religious differences involves who should be the leader of Islam. Politics revolves around power and if the new government succeeds then the Sunnis will no longer enjoy the dominance they wielded so freely under Saddam Hussein.

On February 22, 2006 a group of men dressed as Iraqi police officers entered the al Askariya "Golden Mosque" in Samarra and detonated explosives, thereby destroying the holy site. Regardless of whether or not the Sunnis were responsible for this attack seems completely irrelevant because this incident immediately sparked reprisal attacks from the Shiites and counter-reprisals from the Sunnis likewise.

Now weeks later, and with hundreds of Sunni and Shiite casualties, the American government tries to assure us that there is not a civil war brewing in Iraq. Perhaps one of my favorite quotes from the article comes from Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Chalabi when he says "There is no civil war here". It all seems very reminiscent of everyone's favorite "Minisiter of Misinformation" Muhammed Saeed al-Sahaf (a.k.a Bagdad Bob).

One thing is certain and that is now we not only have to worry about protecting our own soldiers, but we have to protect the citizens of Iraq from each other. I'm sure this was all figured into Bush's elaborate and idealistic roadmap for peace. And like a roadmap (albeit a very bad one) it seems that President Bush is driving us to Texas...via Canada.

I'll leave you with a wonderful quote from "Bagdad Bob" which coincides nicely with what the Bush administration would have us believe.

They're not even [within] 100 miles [of Baghdad]. They are not in any
place. They hold no place in Iraq. This is an illusion ... they are
trying to sell to the others an illusion."

So are we buying the illusion this time?