Baghdad street battle smacks of open civil war

[leftchick]

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-04-18T112940Z_01_L18249834_RTRUKOC_0_UK-IRAQ-INSURGENTS.xml&archived=False

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Snipers held rooftop positions as masked Sunni Arab insurgents said they were gearing up for another open street battle with pro-government Shi'ite militiamen in Baghdad's Adhamiya district on Tuesday.

The Arab Sunni stronghold is still feeling ripples from overnight clashes on Monday that appeared to be the closest yet to all-out sectarian fighting.

It's a reality that has Washington scrambling to avert civil war as Iraqi politicians struggle to form a government four months after parliamentary elections.

A U.S. military spokesman said 50 insurgents attacked Iraqi forces in the middle of the night in a seven-hour battle that killed five rebels and wounded an Iraqi soldier.

Fighting was so fierce that U.S. reinforcements were brought in to the northern district, home to some of Iraq's most hardcore Sunni guerrillas and the Abu Hanifa mosque, near where Saddam Hussein was last seen in public before going into hiding.

[paparush]

1. Civil War Accomplished nt

[xchrom]

2. is it civil war yet?

[Dhalgren]

3. The US doesn't care if it IS civil war; the US just wants to be able

to SAY it isn't. But to whom does the US want to say it isn't civil war? The American public? Since when does the Dictator care what the public thinks? ("I don't do interest groups.") Is it the "Coalition of the Willing"? What "Coalition of the Willing"? Is it our "allies"? They already know the truth without US interpretation. Is it US enemies? They, too, know the score. So why is it so important for the US to promote the lie that there is no civil war?

[gratuitous]

4. Nuh UH! It's NOT civil war!

Whew! That was close. Good thing this administration has a neverending supply of mouthpieces to deny reality and provide a steady stream of illusions for their committed supporters. Although you have to wonder about the persuasive abilities of a four-year-old. Seems it might sail right over the heads of most of Bush's slack-jawed knuckle-dragging supporters.

[saigon68]

5. RE: Bush's slack-jawed knuckle-dragging supporters

This is what they are following

[Julius Civitatus]

6. Baghdad is starting to look a lot like Bosnia