Violence is uprooting Shiites and Sunnis, splitting Baghdad

[Barrett808]

Violence is uprooting Shiites and Sunnis, splitting Baghdad
Religious strife carves up capital
By ROBERT H. REID
Associated Press

BAGHDAD, IRAQ — Four years ago, this was a city where people mixed freely — where, in most parts of town, no one cared if a neighborhood was Sunni or Shiite. Loyalty to Saddam Hussein was more important than religious identity.

But now a battle for Baghdad is well under way between the two major Muslim sects. Death squads are slaughtering people daily, and an estimated 160,000 Iraqis have fled their homes — mostly here in the capital.

Out of that violence, a new but not better city is emerging. Many Iraqis fear that the result will be a Sunni west and a Shiite east, with the broad Tigris River snaking through the middle as the sectarian boundary.

The process ultimately could leave a legacy of bitterness and poison Iraqi society for generations.

(more)

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/world/4158669.html

[bluestateguy]

1. But remember, Iraq is still on the "verge" of a civil war

Just like America was on the "verge" of a civil war in 1864.

[brentspeak]

2. Let's just hand Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz each a rifle

some ammo, some grenades, drop them in the middle of Iraq, and tell them to fix their own mess all on their own. No reason for the troops to be killed and wounded because of their leadership's total incompetence, stupidity, and arrogance.

[NanceGreggs]

4. Hey, I'm IN!

I'll give them all a ride the airport myself.

[NOLADEM]

6. Or just do that and put em in a circle???

I keed, I keed.

(sort of)

[Loge23]

3. But they just caught #2 - again!!

The ubiquitous #2 al-queda guy has been caught! We can rest easier now.
What a bunch of ...well, #2.

[NOLADEM]

5. Civil War is well underway, I see

My Crystal Ball Says:

Iraq will be divided into the Kurdish north, Shiite East and Sunni west.

The Kurdish country will be promptly destroyed by continuing Turkish and Iranian attacks for their own reasons.

The Shiite will be everything East of the river, and will become part of Iran for all intents and purposes.

The Sunnis I feel will continue to be occupied at whatever price to shield Israel.

My ball is going dark.