In iraq we are fighting for and against the shiaa, the militias, the sunnis, the baathists, etc. etc
Tell that to the Iraqi Sunnis and Shi'a:
In Diyala province, the situation is worsening for the civilians caught in the path of al Qaeda's attempt to create an Islamic State. A curfew has been imposed in Baqubah, the provincial capital and the scene of recent fighting. Civilians have been fleeing the province by the thousands. "In the past six days more than 900 families, about 5,000 individuals, have fled Diyala governorate. Some of them were forced out by militants and others were scared of the clashes," Faris Abdallah, the media officer for Diyala governorate office told Reuters.
Al Qaeda is imposing Taliban-like law in the region, much like they attempted to do in Anbar province. "They banned smoking and the consumption of any kind of product that might have been imported. Also, in some areas girls are prohibited from going to school as it is considered unnecessary; men cannot wear Western clothes and the Internet has been banned," Abdallah said.
Last week we noted the formation of the Diyala Salvation Front, a grouping of local tribes that have organized to fight al Qaeda just as the Anbar Salvation Council has done. Baqubah tribal leaders are now organizing. "Shaykh 'Awad Najm al-Rabi'i, the head of the new 'Baquba Salvation Council' announced that around 280 tribal leaders, academics, military leaders, from the full range of sects and ethnicities have formed the council to confront the deteriorating security situation in the province and confront the 'gangs' that operate under the organizational rubric of the 'Islamic State,'" notes IraqSlogger. The Baquba Salvation Council committed to "“declaring war against [al Qaeda in Iraq] and expelling them from the province and bringing security back to the citizens.”
weeklystandard.com
THAT, Michael, is the "reality" on the ground in Iraq. Regardless of your perceptions related who we're fighting, the Sunnis and Shi'a seem to have finally got on the "same page" about fighting Al Qai'da.
Hawk |
