Tell Dimson not to kid himself, Iraq is in a civil war.

The soldiers on either side may not be wearing convenient uniforms like the blue and grey of the American Civil War, but, nonetheless, this is a war between two factions that US troops are finding themselves between.

Battle for Baghdad 'has already started'
By Patrick Cockburn in Arbil
Published: 25 March 2006

The battle between Sunni and Shia Muslims for control of Baghdad has already started, say Iraqi political leaders who predict fierce street fighting will break out as each community takes over districts in which it is strongest.

"The fighting will only stop when a new balance of power has emerged," Fuad Hussein, the chief of staff of Massoud Barzani, the Kurdish leader, said. "Sunni and Shia will each take control of their own area." He said sectarian cleansing had already begun.

Many Iraqi leaders now believe that civil war is inevitable but it will be confined, at least at first, to the capital and surrounding provinces where the population is mixed. "The real battle will be the battle for Baghdad where the Shia have increasing control," said one senior official who did not want his name published. "The army will disintegrate in the first moments of the war because the soldiers are loyal to the Shia, Sunni or Kurdish communities and not to the government." He expected the Americans to stay largely on the sidelines.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article353501.ece

Bush and Cheney can go ahead and claim that the media won't report anything good happening in Iraq, but the fact remains is that Iraq is blowing up in our face. The President's exit strategy is a hoax, counting Iraqi troops that one third of don't even exist!

(snip)
Mr Hussein gave another reason why the army is weak. "Where you have 3,000 soldiers there will in fact be only 2,000 men (because of ghost soldiers who do not exist and whose salaries are taken by senior officers)," he said. "When it comes to fighting only 500 of those men will turn up."

Another dark cloud on the horizon is a civil war in Afghanistan. Can America afford to be caught in the middle of two civil wars? Meanwhile, the Taliban are quietly gaining in strength. Is there anything that this President and administration can do without screwing it completely up?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=744942&mesg_id=744942

clicking your heels three times and saying, "there's no place like home..." just ain't gonna do it this time.