Given sectarian hatreds and the lack of proven oil in Sunni areas it seems that the future for the Sunnis in Iraq is as a poor, economically rootless, minority, viewing the wealth and power of their Shiite and Kurdish neighbours.

This situation (much like the Palestinian Arabs in Israel) is a recipe for continuing Sunni resentment and insurrection. This has already degenerated into suicide bombing. This provides an excuse for endless US occupation.

Its unsurprising that the author says:

"Of the benchmarks, the US sees an agreement on oil as a precursor to reconciliation and future harmony in Iraq."

Two things:

- the Saudis are covertly aiding the Sunnis in an attempt to redress the balance. See Pete's Blog http://spyingbadthings.blogspot.com/2007/07/saudis-unsung-suicide-bombers-in-iraq.html, and

- most of the killing of Iraqi civilians is done by Iraqi Shiite death squads who frequently moonlight in the Iraqi Army, Police and Iraqi Interior Ministry.

Pete

Spot on, Ishmael, guess your thoughts are good and deep, so much needed for today's Middle East, where greedy elitist planning from us Westerners has really upset the power balance or status quo.

Cheers - BB

Spot on Ishmael, guess your thoughts run good and deep. So much needed in today's Middle East, where litte thought has been given to democratic power balance, that us elitist Westerners prattle so much about.

Cheers - BB

Plantaganet, yes, not surprising what you say is happening in Iraq. A case of fight where you may. It proves that what all the Muslims really want is to get rid of Western intrusion, as Mubarek of Egypt confidentially told a reporter, which includes the now over-armed Israelis out as well, shifting their Biblical Promised Land to America, to leave the Arabs to fight in peace, as was said about the Irish.

Of course the Americans are the world's worst two timers, with their promises of democracy with contraband/oil and imperialist hegemon stuck well in the backs of their minds.

Talking about Saddam's crack regiments, one is reminded of Hitler, who as he conquered what was left of East Europe, told the conquered military forces to simply choose between execution and joining up with the Wermacht?

It proves the weakness of US military forethought when they simply let the original Iraqi forces loose to begin
the mobilisation of the Sunni suicide bombers.

Bushbred

I basically agree with your comments but I'm caught between two worlds:

- on the one hand my latest blog post concerns American misadventure and Sunni suicide bombers http://spyingbadthings.blogspot.com/

- on the other, I recall, long, ago when I was 13, my first real girlfriend was American. Was she hot!! 34-24-34 5'5" raring to go, but I just wasn't THAT interested. That was in Fort Hood, Texas (1975-76) largest military base in the "free world" and probably still is. 600 tanks, 200 helicopters. American firepower was righteous, probably still is. They lead, we follow.

I don't know whether this response helps any but she would have been the best I ever had - if only lust triumphed over, phlegmatic good manners.

Pete

Bushbred said “ It proves that what all the Muslims really want is to get rid of Western intrusion, as Mubarek of Egypt confidentially told a reporter, which includes the now over-armed Israelis out as well, shifting their Biblical Promised Land to America, to leave the Arabs to fight in peace, as was said about the Irish.”

Really, what Plantagenet said proves it?. Ongoing fighting in Iraq has as much more to do with sect, tribe and creed than it does with evicting westerners.

Plantagenet said “most of the killing of Iraqi civilians is done by Iraqi Shiite death squads who frequently moonlight in the Iraqi Army, Police and Iraqi Interior Ministry” That’s rubbish as well. Sunni and Kurdish death squads also roam the country looking for victims. Al Qaeda in conjunction with Sunni terrorists have committed some of the worst atrocities of the war, with hundreds killed or wounded in single attacks.

Each of the three main groups in Iraq is fighting for power and control with revenge attacks thrown in for good measure. The Shiites, the largest group, were viciously repressed during the era of Saddam Hussein and have taken to squaring the ledger with gusto. They have state backing in Iran, whose interest it is to have a weak Iraq which can be easily manipulated. The Sunnis are allied with Al Qaeda and have backing in Saudi, Syria and Egypt among others. The Kurds want, at the very least, an autonomous homeland with control over the large reserves of oil beneath their land. Turkey is very worried that an autonomous state would see ethnic Kurds from Turkey attempt to break off part of Kurdish Turkey and amalgamate to create a Kurdish nation. Not surprisingly they are involved in the fighting in Iraq as well.