Civil War in Iraq

It appears that Iraq has descended into a civil war. (Not that this is anything new - just that some in positions of authority are finally beginning to admit it publicly.) This is another indicator of the failure of the US military operation in that country - really, it is a symptom of the occupation. The question, as Harold asks is, what now?

So What's Our Role in Iraq's Civil War?

By Harold Meyerson
Wednesday, August 9, 2006; Page A17

Of all the signs that the American people are fed up with the war in Iraq, the one that the administration should fear most was put forth last week by a longtime supporter of both the president and the war, Virginia Republican John Warner.

While chairing a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Warner suggested that the president might need a new congressional resolution authorizing our presence in Iraq, since the conflict there has become (or, best case, may yet become) a civil war.

Now, that would be one challenging resolution to write. Once you've come up with "Whereas the conflict in Iraq is now a civil war between Shiites and Sunnis," what is it, exactly, that we are therefore supposed to resolve? In an Iraqi civil war -- which is precisely what we now confront -- what is the mission of U.S. forces?

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link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/08/AR2006080800941.html