Sunnis on warpath in Baghdad:"It's their answer to the `surge' strategy: recoil, redeploy & spoil"

[maddezmom]

By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer
8 minutes ago



BAGHDAD, Iraq - Sunni insurgents are striking back with attention-grabbing bombings in Baghdad and gruesome killings posted on the Internet, in an apparent effort to shore up their positions around the Iraqi capital as the U.S. struggles to secure the city.

That is changing the nature of the conflict in Iraq, at least temporarily — shifting the main focus from the Sunni-Shiite "civil war" of recent months to a renewed attention on Sunni insurgents as the root of the crisis.

The shift could be temporary if Shiite death squads once again become active in Baghdad. But for now, the change indicates how all sides opposed to the U.S. presence show surprising resilience and ability to switch strategies to survive.

As the Shiite militias have faded from view, Sunnis have accelerated their attacks. Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, the No. 2 commander in Iraq, said recently that Sunnis were accounting for about 70 percent of the attacks against coalition troops.

"," Peter Harling of the International Crisis Group said of the Sunni insurgents. "The strategy is to deploy into the vacuum left by the current focus on Baghdad."

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070306/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_sunnis_strike_back;_ylt=ArmrMpQPq9EkbpsiFED0fqxvaA8F

[aquart]

1. Did we expect them to do nothing?

Did the Saudis buy them new toys just for this special occasion?