Back to Iraq 3.0: What Politicians Say

Drat. Sometimes I unearth good stuff that languishes as a draft post and never gets published. This one is almost so old that I should delete it. But it is such a big story from one of my oldest, most trusted sources on Iraqi news, Chris Allbritton. Here's a post from Back to Iraq 3.0: What Politicians Say

Lately, there’s been a lot of talk: reconciliation talks, talks about the government, talks about Sunni-Shi’a partnership, talk, talk, talk.

Don’t listen to most of it. While many are thankful all-out civil war was averted after the violence of the last five days, many others are still spoiling for a fight and now distrust their leaders. [...]

For the last 18 months, we’ve been in a low-grade civil war. The Askariya bombing kicked us up to "medium-grade," I guess you might call it. Both Sunnis and Shi’a I’ve spoken with are waiting and preparing for it, and that very preparation might make for a self-fulfilling prophecy. For to many Iraqis, it’s only a matter of time.

Not good. Not at all.