The last week in Iraq should persuade most people that their civil and sectarian war is restarting. And once again, U.S. forces will be in the crossfire. The NY Times reports that U.S. planes are being used against Shiite militia in the southern port city of Basra (Iraq's second largest city). There, and in the Sadr City region of Baghdad where U.S. armored vehicles have joined the fight, Shiite militia factions are fighting it out for control. At stake in the south is control of vast oil reserves and pipelines, and of the provincial governments. Dumbya, as expected, is getting pissy, portraying the turmoil as a really good thing, and not "appreciatin'" the fact that Congress expects him to push the Iraqis to enact political and economic reforms.
Meanwhile, over the past several weeks, the Sunni tribes in al Anbar province that turned on al Qaeda in Iraq have pulled back from their temporary alliance with the U.S. Literally tens of millions of dollars were being provided to the tribal leaders to secure their support, but those dollars have been drying up and the Sunnis are anticipating the next moves of the Shiite militias -- once their internecine battle is over -- will be against them. And we'll be in the middle again.
