Iraq is now in 'a terrible civil war', admits Allawi

telegraph ^ | 20/03/2006 | By Oliver Poole in Basra

[Liberal Bob]

If gang bangers kill each other over their turf that's civil war. Who would have figured?

[Uncle Miltie]

"But there is not a civil war and we will not allow a civil war to develop."

Careful what you promise, bucko.

When the Brits slammed Iraq together 90 years ago, they purposefully put together three groups that did not get along. Perhaps it is time they went their separate ways, a la India and Pakistan.

Mohandas Ghandi freed India which then had a civil war with what became Pakistan. Does that make Ghandi wrong?

No.

[RightWhale]

Seems like we have civil war here, too. :(

[WorkingClassFilth]

"We are losing each day an average of 50 to 60 people throughout the country, if not more," he said. "If this is not civil war, then God knows what civil war is."

Sounds like just another day of peace under the rule of the Religion of Peace.

[lonestar67]

i think it is interesting that as US combat casualities are declining precipitously the media is shifting to a Civil war argument.

In some respects, the civil war rhetoric helps the US and coalition partners. Allawi is saying this in order to encourage preference for his secular leadership. Civil war panics diminish public trust for sectarian leaders such as Sadr.

If we are smart, we will try to continue to strategically allow security miscues in Al Sadr's provincial areas. This could reduce his legitimacy.

I do not think a civil war is taking place in Iraq.

[stm]

Iraq has a little over 25 million people. The US nearly 300 million. If you were to normalize that, the 50 people killed a day would then be around 600.

[Cicero]

It's not surprising that Alawi is behaving like this. But I'm very disappointed in the Telegraph. They seem to have joined the anti-war crowd and don't sound that much different from the Guardian or the Independent.

[diverteach]

I think we need to just sit back, watch, and let them kill each other. Ungrateful SOB's

[Congressman Billybob]

For real civil war, think Yugoslavia, the United States, etc. Sad to say, the current level of killing in Iraq is normal for the current situation, far lower than under Saddam, "the Butcher of Baghdad." "Moderate to light killing tonight, clearing tomorrow about noon," Iraqi weather report.

Congressman Billybob

Latest article: "Rep. Taylor's Office Caught in an Obvious Lie in Attempt to Smear John Armor"

[jveritas]

What is happening in Iraq is mostly terrorist insurgents killing civilians rather than mass civil strife between Shia and Sunni Arabs. These terrorist attacks have been happening for the last three years and most of our fight there is to destroy the terrorist insurgency and we are 80% on our way to achieve the ultimate victory.

The civil war in Iraq is the new lie that liberals and their media started to use few weeks ago when Al Qaeda blew up the Shia Golden Dome mosque in Samara. Liberals and their media are very much aware that the terrorist insurgency is dying so to keep their attacks against President Bush they came up with the new lie of civil war in Iraq. They and the terrorists will fail miserably and they will be both utterly defeated.

[misterrob]

You could also say that LA is in the throes of a Civil War with rival gangs out there killing each other.

[Marine_Uncle]

I continue to wonder who can be found that really offers the prospects of uniting this new government once it is fully operational. I have expressed my perhaps shallow views of Allawi, perhaps they are to kind.
When we consider the major parties, e.g. SCIRI, Dawa, PUK, for instance who do we see that could stand a chance at administrating the ministries?
I wish there where some site available that concentrates on who the players are. Guys like current PM Jaffari are obviously known well enough to see he is weak and always would favor the Shias. And though some have made note he does not want Iranian influence, since he is Shia and in a party that is known to harbor alot of Iranian influencers he is a poor choice for the PM post.
I hope someone shall pop a site our way that does good profiles on all the current major party candidates for ministry posts. I am at a loss other then going to sites like Wikepedia and google searches and looking up the names of the more obviouse players. I do hope it does not turn out they are all a bunch of jerkweeds. I am sure we all would agree they need a few really dynamic straight shooters to take the helm in the new government and get the ball rolling already. Their peoples are getting worn out and pissed off.

[tsmith130]

Read Iraq The Model...they give good explanations about all the players.

www.iraqthemodel.blogspot.com

[TexasTransplant]

>>>>"Lets face it. He is what is known as a politician"<<<<

For those that may be interested does anyone know if he was promoted to Politician status from the "Lying scum sucking Lawyer" pool or from the "I don't have the Balls to blow myself up radical hate America ROP" pool (not that it makes a rats ass bit of difference)

TT

[Petronski]

For fairness, headline ought to have been "'Iraq is now in a terrible civil war,' claims Allawi."

[jveritas]

I think Iraq will have a new government within a month or so. Our ambassador there is working very hard to get this thing done and done quickly.

[Reactionary]

Ooo. 50-60 Iraqis a day.

By that idiot standard, Iraq has been in a state of civil war since 500 BC.

[reasonisfaith]

This is another example of the drive-by media attempting to create their own reality. If something is repeated often enough a sort of artificial credibility is cultivated—in this case to be used by the democrats in their war against the war on terror. Traditionally, liberals have had to settle for artificial credibility because they have little or no access to natural credibility.

[Prost1]

"Civil War"....Let them come to Oakland, Richmond, San Pablo...the killing is also non-stop and we are talking about cities with only a fraction of the population of Baghdad. Then let's add Fresno, Bakersfield, LA....

You get the idea. I do not read the MSM talking about a Civil War in the U.S.

Anyone?

[bill1952]

A fine pupil of his pedant.