I knew it was complicated in Iraq, but not this complicated. This report in the New York Times suggests that rather than a civil war Iraq has a state of anarchy (if that isn’t an oxymoron).
“The killing in Baghdad in recent months has primarily been the result of sectarian violence, as Shiites have sought to drive Sunnis from mixed neighborhoods and Sunnis have retaliated…
“In Sunni-controlled Anbar Province…fighting is mainly between insurgents and American troops…
“In southern cities like Basra, dominated by Shiites, the fighting is a combination of battles between rival militias vying for power, warring tribes and organized crime…
“‘In northern Basra, the fighting is mainly between three warring tribes…The death squads are typically related to political maneuvering and tribal gain. Then there are rogue elements of militias aiming attacks on the multinational forces.'”
These quotes are contained in an article about a raid on a jail in Basra by 1400 B ritish and Iraqi troops run by the Serious Crimes Unit. It seems that the unit was conducting the serious crimes so drastic action was required to disband them and rescue the prisoners that they were holding. Apparently 100 of them were crammed in to a cell 30 feet by 40 feet.
Moqtada al-Sadr is implicated. That’s no surprise. It’s in the Shiite part of Iraq, and his name is becoming increasingly prominent in the manouevring for power post the US invasion.