Sunni Militia Attacks Al-Qaeda

This article reports that a Sunni militant group attacked an Al-Qaeda compound near Samara in Iraq. This same Sunni group, used to fight against US forces as insurgents. The Sunni Islamic Army of Iraq, killed 18 fighters and captured 16. Sunni Ex-insurgents attacked and killed Sunni terrorists.

Of course there is the reciprocal tragedy of is, the article mentions an anti-Al-Qaeda sheik and his family being killed in a suicide blast, but this may represent a real turning point. Sunni against Sunni violence goes against the typical sectarian lines were used to hearing about in Iraq. The issue between them, transcends religion, it may be about tactics, or about peace and order, or governing styles, but whatever it is, Militant groups are pushing out terrorists.

Is this a good thing? Of course! Is this surprising? ‘Fraid not. Iraq was a relatively secular country before we invaded, at least their government was. Saddam didn’t like the rival influence of fundamentalists and kept them out of his country with force.

Pragmatic Patraeus and his Political Plan

In a new strategy for Iraq, General Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker have indicated that as Sunni insurgent groups like al-Qaeda in Iraq wane, Shiite militias will become more important to the security situation.

The question is, if our focus comes off the Sunni groups, will their action remain reduced? Wack-a-Mole isn’t just a bad arcade game. At the moment the surged has either forced insurgents underground momentarily, or routed them out more permanently. We can’t know until we turn our backs, but either way we have a moment to catch our breath.

Aside from creating a situation where political reconciliation could potentially develop, the Bush administration actually seems to understand that is crucial to the solution.

The plan also acknowledges that the U.S. military -- with limited time and troops -- cannot guarantee a wholesale defeat of its enemies in Iraq, and instead is seeking "political accommodation" to persuade them to end the use of violence

One must admit that since the administration has changed course in Iraq, there has been progress. We don’t know if that progress is more a measure of initial failure, or subsequent success, but it’s fragile progress, a slight opportunity for reconciliation before the window of peace closes.

Rival Shiite Leaders Come Together; it’s a start…

I ran across this story the other day and it gave me hope for two reasons. That will become clear after we understand what’s happened.

So to recap what we should all know, but far too few actually do, the basics of the Iraq conflict

Although there are 3 rival factions in Iraq, just two are engaged in the civil war, the Shiite and the Sunni. This story isn’t about the Shiite and Sunni conflict. This story is about conflict within the Shiite community, coming together.

Muqtada al-Sadr, the populist Shiite cleric, and Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, the head of the Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq,

have signed a cooperative agreement. Although the bands had previously clashed violently, their leaders agreed to a three part plan.

Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, Bush called him "AAAH"

Stopping the fighting between Iraqis, urging print and electronic media to engender a spirit of friendship and forgiveness, and establishing commissions in each of Iraq's 18 provinces to oversee the peace initiative.

But forget the plan for the second. Think about this, two very large Shiite organizations in the same country couldn’t or wouldn’t unite even during a factional war. Not only is Islam not united, the factions within Islam are not united. We should remember that when conceptualizing the terrorist threat. Its neither a military nor a state-bound problem, and it should be dealt with as such.