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Originally Posted by Undertoad

AQI has been the main insurgency at least since they bombed the dome of the golden mosque at Samarra, in order to create the conflict boiling towards civil war.

The only reason we *know* that is the same wacko extremist propaganda by George Jr's administration. It is not known who did most of what. But we do know from reporters that the actual war is not what American extremists promote.

From the Wall Street Journal of 31 October 2007 entitled "In Baghdad Neighborhood, A Tale of Shifting Fortunes":

In many neighborhoods across the Iraqi capital, Shiite Muslims have defeated their Sunni cousins in the civil war that's raged here over the past two years. Shiites ... have been able to seize real estate, businesses, and municipal services from Sunnis. A mafia-like network of Shiite militias has engineered the takeover of entire neighborhoods. Of the 51 members on Baghdad's City Council, only one is Sunni; the police are almost entirely Shia.

The central government here says the violence is winding down, and the US military point out that civilian deaths have declined recently. But a new, quieter chapter of the civil war is unfolding. Shiite groups are trying to consolidate their on-the-ground gains and push into neighborhoods that have so far eluded their control. The Sunnis, pressed into a corner, are looking for new ways to fight back.

As the report demonstrates, Baghdad is mostly 'ethnic cleansed' of Sunni. Al Qaeda had near zero responsibliity for that. In America, all this was instead blamed on Al Qaeda - since Americans so easily believed George Jr propaganda (even six months ago) rather than learn what reporters have actually been reporting. Fewer remaining Sunnis means diminished violence. Does that mean the civil war is ending? Does that mean Americans are stopping this war?

Nowhere is this dynamic more evident than in the city's Sayidia section, a majority-Sunni enclave where Sunnis and Shiites had lived in relative peace. ...

In February, a white sedan swerved and flipped over in front of Ryad Obaidi's home in Sayidia. ... Hearing tapping sound, Mr Obaidi ... opened the trunk. ... Shocked by the man's story, he decided to join a local band of Sunni fighters. ...

Other unemployed military officers from the area joined the insurgency, but the neighborhood remained peaceful. ... But all around the district, other neighborhoods were falling under the sway of Shiite militants. ... American officials stationed here have watched as Shiite militias made steady inroads. ...

Apparent are no American actions to halt or change this onslaught before or during the 'surge'.

The idea of reconciliation is indispensable to making Iraq into a functioning state - and a key condition for the eventual withdrawal of US troops. But as Baghdad's few mixed areas yield to Shiite forces, that goal becomes harder to achieve. ... It was fast becoming the only safe haven for Sunnis in West Rashid.

Things weren't that way for long. Shiite militants started infiltrating Sayidia from adjacent areas under their control. According to US military officials, their movements were often aided by the Shiite-dominated Iraqi police. ...

Gen Abdul-Karim Khalaf, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, says the accusations that the police are working with Shiite militants are unsubstantiated. "The police forces represent the government, and the government doesn't support one side against the other," he said.

And yet evidence repeatedly says otherwise. Maliki's government has even quashed investigations on government corruption. What is America doing when protecting and financing Maliki's government?

Shiite forces also targeted basic services in the neighborhood, according to US military officials. Electricity lines were cut. Water delivery became erratic. Trash collectors were murdered.

Sunni shop owners were ordered to close down. Shiite gunmen raided Sunni mosques. Last month, only one of 11 mosques remained open. Sunnis started to leave Sayidia.

But some Sunni residents also started fighting back. ... "Almost every night we fought", said Riyad. Gunfire became so frequent and indiscriminate that local resident Abu Hassan observed that fronds of a palm tree in front of his house had become shredded by bullets.

Still, Shiite militant gained ground, and a new band of combatants entered the fray early this year: extremist fighters from al-Qaeda in Iraq, a fundamentalist Sunni group known for slaughtering Shiites. Al-Qaeda fighters trickled in to Sayidia through a neighboring enclave called Dora. ...

Sayidia's desperate Sunnis were initially happy to see the new fighters, hoping they would help fend off the Shiite onslaught. "The Sunnis had no choice but to receive al-Qaeda because nobody else was protecting them" says Mr Ibrahim, the Sayidia dentist.

Instead, the Sunni extremists embarked on a simple but brutal strategy: kill any Shiite they could get their hands on. A peaceful Shiite population had always resided in the neighborhood. They were now targets.

The murder rate in Sayidia went through the roof. "You'll see people walk by a body, and it's like they are immune to it", says US Army 1st Sgt Todd Carlsurd, who has spend months patrolling the neighborhood. ... Far from being any sort of ally, al-Qaeda was living up to its reputation for inciting violence.

Sayidia's Sunni residents regrouped. Recruited by a major Sunni political party, some 300 Sunni fighters joined an ad-hoc police unit ... The Americans patrolling Sayidia, desperate for a solution, went along with the plan. ...

Early this month, the Iraqi government issued an order banning the Sunni [volunteer police] battalion from the streets.

Again, Americans had no choice but to go along with another plan that really does not solve anything. Whereas murder rates across Baghdad decrease during 'a surge' (since most neighborhoods were finished being ethnic cleansed), in Sayalia, deaths increased during the 'surge'. What caused the reduction of street deaths? Ethnic cleansing has completed in most of Baghdad. Where ethnic cleansing is not, violence has been increasing - despite the 'surge'.

Meanwhile where is this world wide Al Qaeda enemy that would threaten America (according to our extremist who promote fear, orange alerts, evil Muslims hiding in America to kill us all) or be responsible for all that violence? Al Qaeda is just another almost irrelevant insurgency group representing just another faction in a multi-party civil war. Of course, many still believe our president's propaganda. But facts about Al Qaeda say otherwise. Each Al Qeada is simply another small militia of fundamentalists who kill who? Shiites. Why does George Jr and the propaganda forget to mention who these Al Qeada really target?

But again, "Mission Accomplished" is a civil war; not a threat to America as our wacko extremists still promote it.

This Wall Street Journal report is a story of the past two years. During that time, American wacko extremists in the US government and in the Cellar have repeatedly posted fears of an 'all consuming' Al Qaeda. Rush Limbaugh rhetoric of fear and hate is still widespread in America among the American 20% that rabidly supports a mental midget. These same Americans who so love violence will even misrepresent Al Qaeda as some worldwide international threat. And yet observe what Al Qaeda really is - in Sayidia.

A trivial Al Qaeda is just another insurgency in the "Mission Accomplished" civil war. Also apparent is how little Americans have influence over this civil war. Even an American puppet government apparently supports Shia 'ethnic cleansing' at the expense of Sunni. So who are Americans really protecting? Americans are stopping Al Qaeda? Yes, just as Sherlock Holmes was stopping Moriarity.

Nothing new here. This summary is what Iraq was three years ago when America created this problem and denied what "Mission Accomplished" was really about. Contrary to so many posts in The Cellar, Al Qaeda is not this massive threat so hyped by wacko extremist. Ethnic cleansing would be a more accurate appraisal. But that would make the mental midget appear to be a liar.