Nearly 200 people have been killed in Iraq in the last 24 hours as certain Sunnis declare war on the Shia community. It seems that Iraq is fracturing along the faultlines kept together by decades of tyranny.
Shortly after yesterday’s wave of explosions and shootings, a group linked to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, calling itself al-Qaeda in Iraq, claimed responsibility on an Islamist website and urged all Sunni Muslims to “wake up from your slumber” and join the fight.
The group claimed that the carnage came in response to a successful Iraqi and US joint military offensive against the rebel stronghold of Tal Afar, a staging post on the Syrian border used by foreign recruits, five days earlier.
The Times has learned that al-Zarqawi, considered to be Osama bin Laden’s lieutenant in Iraq, has united insurgent groups in Baghdad to target the Shia community with the aim of bringing civil war to Iraq as it prepares for a referendum on its constitution next month.
According to US military intelligence sources , al-Zarqawi, the man responsible for the bloodiest acts of terror in Iraq over the past two years, now commands thousands of fighters from various rival groups and is set to order further waves of bombings.
Al-Zarqawi promised war, without mercy, against all Shi’ites everywhere - a pledge that will probably raise the $25 million bounty already on his head. In the meantime I stand by my original assertion that deliberately partitioning Iraq now rather than being eventually forced to deal with a de facto partitioned Iraq will avoid the inevitable bloodshed in between times.
Yep, its the balkanisation of the Middle East. Shia v Sunni; Arab nationalism loses. Suits Israel down to the ground.
Funny that.
Comment by DE — September 15, 2005 @ 12:36 pm
Whats the bets that the Guardian and the BBC continues to call Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his men, Insurgents?
Comment by EU Serf — September 15, 2005 @ 2:30 pm
As an American(20), I have never been more scared that I will be in basic training in a years time. Its really getting bad. This really is a counter-attack, if you think about, in a war that most americans dont care about. We need to respond to this if we really care about Iraq, because it seems like they might actually be strong enough to “win” if we dont send more boots.
Comment by Rob — September 15, 2005 @ 11:02 pm
A draft… next year my guess. How could this get better with out more American and Iraqi deaths? 50K troops to come home? I’d say they will be replaced by at least 200K more.
Comment by Rob — September 15, 2005 @ 11:13 pm
Rob,
Are Americans generally really expecting there to be a draft?
Comment by Gary Monro — September 16, 2005 @ 6:48 am
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is a phantom. He has not been seen by anyone for years. He is a propaganda strategy.
On the ground in Iraq the civil war is being brought to fruition because that was always the aim. US soldiers are just cannon fodder.
The “insurgency” is a highly sophisticated covert operation that employs criminals and “suicide” bombs {probably innocent couriers} in the London vein, to ferment the internal conflict.
Democracy and freedom were never on the agenda.
If you want democracy and freedom you assist people to become educated and comfortable.
The Iraq project is the destruction of Iraq and the control over the energy to stop the global oil glut so much higher profits can be made from a resource that might nearly be as plentiful as water.
Comment by Christopher Brooks — September 16, 2005 @ 8:17 pm
Well not everyone thinks a draft is coming, becuase they don’t really know how bad it is now, and how bad it could get. People don’t think civil war when they hear about Iraq. Civil war sounds bad, so the administration & news aren’t going to call it that.
But the truth is that this could turn into a HUGE global conflict becuase currently we don’t have enough trained Iraqi troops, and not enough American troops in there to protect and train. Also, America is the most vulnerable it has been in a very long time as result of New Orleans. I mean we are going broke, our National Gaurds & reserves are spread to thin… How can the US pull off rebuilding two major cities at the same time? I think Al-Zarqawi knows this and believes (so do I) that this is the best opportunity he has had to bring death to America(or American backed Shiites).
And no one cares to think a little bit further down the road.
If Al-Zarqawi can sustain this “civil war”, for 2 months I think that is the point where people will start thinking of a draft. The key is, he has to keep saying its a “civil war” in order for people over here to give a shit. Propaganda is still a very strong weapon in war.
Comment by Rob — September 18, 2005 @ 3:28 am
Rob,
And, of course, Afghanistan is hotting up - I believe the Taliban are back in town which will be a further diversion for American forces.
Comment by Gary Monro — September 19, 2005 @ 11:43 am