Insurgents’ violence a bid for civil war? (AP finally figures it out)

MSNBC ^ | May 16, 2005 | Associated Press

[jmc1969]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Civilians shopping at street markets, worshipping at mosques and mourning at funerals have become the prime target of insurgents in a two-week spree of carnage that many people think is linked to efforts by foreign extremists to plunge Iraq into civil war.

At least 489 people, most of them civilians, have been killed by bombings and other insurgent attacks since Iraq’s new government was announced by Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari on April 28.

Now, with the bodies of 50 men found shot to death by unknown assailants and dumped across the country over two days, fears are rising that foreigners like Abu Musab al-Zarqawi may be making headway in their campaign to turn Iraq’s fractious communities against each other.

We are approaching a situation that is unstable, of a war of all against all, complete chaos, where the government is ineffective, the security is ineffective, and anybody can be killed at any time by anybody,” said Kenneth Katzman, an expert on the Persian Gulf region with the U.S. Congressional Research Service.

The Jordanian-born al-Zarqawi, leader of Al-Qaida in Iraq, made his intentions clear in a letter obtained and released last year by the U.S. government saying that causing sectarian fighting between Shiite and Sunni was the best way to undermine American policy in Iraq.

[jmc1969]

Zarqawi is killing dozens of Sunnis now and blaming it on the Shia and vice versa. I wish the Jaffari government had a bit more balls to crack down hard.

[llama hunter]

I just had a thought today, do you think Hezbollah, all pissed off about the Syrian pullout in Lebanon is providing more of an assist to Zarqawi and friends?

[Cornpone]

Isn't it amazing how the MSM keeps repeating the obvious and still calls it news? They can only be talking to themselves....

[Blood of Tyrants]

Jeez, and it only took them what, about 18 months to figure it out.

[JasonC]

There is no war of all against all and none of it is succeeding in the slightest. The same small bunch of goons are killing anybody they can lay hands on anywhere in the country. Security forces are killing them in response, as fast as they are able. That is all, there is no change, there is no tactic, there is no reason or method to any of it. They just kill, it is what they do, it is all they know how to do. Stop rooting for them and hoping it works, it makes you immoral monsters.

[bnelson44]

"Zarqawi is killing dozens of Sunnis now and blaming it on the Shia and vice versa. I wish the Jaffari government had a bit more balls to crack down hard."

So does Bush

[jmc1969]

I am really hoping the Sunnis vote in December and Allawi is able to get back into power. He knew how do deal with this shit. One bullet in the back to the head is the quickist easist way to deal with al-Qaeda.

[gogogodzilla]

The MSM is talking to the DUmmies.

The DUmmies, having smoked so much dope, cannot remember anything for more than five minutes.

Therefore, it's always news to the DUmmies.

[elhombrelibre]

http://slate.msn.com/id/2118820