The Iraqi Civil War

Zarqawi is now dead, yet the violence continues in Iraq. The fear of civil war is as strong as ever.

This view ignores the fact that Iraq is already in a state of civil war and has been since the first Persian Gulf War. Right after the war, the United States encouraged the Kurds and Shia to revolt, which they did. The problem is, when push came to shove the United States geeked. The mass graves in southern Iraq testify to this fact. Saddam was no fool, he knew that if he gave up these sectors he would lose his oil revenue. Oil revenue and how it is shared is still the major issue and until it is resolved there will be terrorism aimed at Iraqi production capacity, which leads to the other reason for American involvement, the global supply of oil. American oil interests and the guilt felt by then Secretary of Defense now Vice President Bush made war inevitable. The question is now how to get out of it.

The first step is to acknowledge the fact that an Iraqi civil war is already afoot and that the United States was the original instigator. By doing so we have turned the Sunni Triangle into the hotbed of terrorism which we said we were trying to avoid. In effect, we have turned the Iraqi people into cannon fodder in the war on terror. The President has almost said as much in his justification for war. If this is true, it is quite cold blooded of him. The only way to stop the bloodshed is to disengage, at least partially.

If the Sunnis, or rather, Saddams kinsmen who happen to be Sunni, do not want us in their space then we must leave. Admitting to our involvement in the current civil war allows us to avoid those sectors where we are not wanted and defend those sectors where we are. Given this reality, the Sunnis will likely deal without the threat of insurgency to back them up. It also allows us enough space in order to set up a western front what may be an inevitable war with Iran, which recent evidence shows had a direct hand in the September 11th attacks.

Let us also recognize that this is about tribe and not religion. In doing so, we can do what is best and leave the Sunni's space as the total victory desired is almost genocidal.