The War Isn't Civil

The occupation has fractured Iraq:

I no longer have power to save Iraq from civil war, warns Shia leader.

The most influential moderate Shia leader in Iraq has abandoned attempts to restrain his followers, admitting that there is nothing he can do to prevent the country sliding towards civil war. Aides say Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani is angry and disappointed that Shias are ignoring his calls for calm and are switching their allegiance in their thousands to more militant groups which promise protection from Sunni violence and revenge for attacks.

"I will not be a political leader any more," he told aides. "I am only happy to receive questions about religious matters."

[...]

Al-Sistani's aides say that he has chosen to stay silent rather than suffer the ignominy of being ignored. Ali al-Jaberi, a spokesman for the cleric in Khadamiyah, said that he was furious that his followers had turned away from him and ignored his calls for moderation. Asked whether Ayatollah al-Sistani could prevent a civil war, Mr al-Jaberi replied: "Honestly, I think not. He is very angry, very disappointed."

He said a series of snubs had contributed to Ayatollah al-Sistani's decision. "He asked the politicians to ask the Americans to make a timetable for leaving but they disappointed him," he said. "After the war, the politicians were visiting him every month. If they wanted to do something, they visited him. But no one has visited him for two or three months. He is very angry that this is happening now. He sees this as very bad."

And who looms to influence Sistani's followers:

I never liked Sistani. I suspect Sistani is the type of religious politician that I would protest if he were in America. That said, Moqtada Al Sadr is by far more of a militant fundy and his gaining support does not bode well for coalition soldiers.

The troops are now calling this a civil war. American Generals are now calling it a civil war. British Generals are calling Iraq a "mini-civil war". The British ambassador to Iraq is now calling it a civil war. Both the Pentagon and Sistani see a larger civil war looming, yet Bush still wears the neocon blinders his war profiteer masters make him wear.

And all that talk about lowering the troop levels in `06?

US Expands Iraq Troops Level to 140,000

140,000 soldiers doing what exactly? Taking sides in a civil war laden with inter-religious violence?