Shiite, Sunni parties feuding with accusations each side behind killings

[ECH1969]

Gatherings of Iraq's top politicians start with polite greetings and dinner. But once the after-meal tea is poured, they let loose: Sunnis and Shiites accusing each other of supporting death squads. Mistrust is deep in what was once lauded as Iraq's national unity government.

Each side throws out specific examples of kidnappings, murders, bombings and blames the other for them, prompting the other to bring out his own list of atrocities, al-Alayan and other participants in the meetings said.

"The Shiites sit and complain, and if you listened to them you'd want to reach for a handkerchief. So then we start raising our own complaints," he said.

"There is seriousness now because everyone fears the situation is going to eat them alive," al-Shimari said. "Before you would have political enemies greeting each other with kisses even when behind the scenes they were working against each other," he said.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/10/10/africa/ME_GEN_Iraq_Feuding_Government.php

[sabra]

1. this is a very disturbing account of the current political scene in Iraq

[corporatemedia]

2. Can't they all just get along? n/t

[ECH1969]

3. probably not

[Vexatious Ape]

4. They've been at each others throats for hundreds

of years. Nothing we can do will stop it. The chimp was told about this possibility but the chimp ignored. Bad chimp.

[Robbien]

5. But they haven't been at each other's throats in Iraq

Not until we got there and started to seperate them into Shia and Sunni. Every blog written by Iraqis said the US was the one pressing the issue, the Iraqis themselves didn't care who was who. They were all just Iraqis.

Now of course it is a different story.

[ECH1969]

6. 400,000 dead Shia in 1993 says differently

Of course poppy Bush asked them to rise up and then did nothing as Saddam slaughtered them.

[Robbien]

7. That is not due to civilian upon civilian attacks I believe.

Isn't that part of the war crimes for which Saddam is sitting in a courtroom today?

[ECH1969]

8. These aren't civilian on civilian attacks yet

These are militias loyal to Iraqi politicians killing each other.

[Robbien]

10. I believe we don't really know what this is

All we really know is that many bodies are turning up each day and almost as many reasons being tossed at us from all angles.

[corporatemedia]

9. Punked them, huh? That Bush familly sure likes a practical joke! n/t

[PurityOfEssence]

11. Okay, so they're both right

They both support murderers out to settle scores. Since they each think they deserve vengeance, it'll go on until there are no more eyes or teeth.

Big surprise.

WE'RE the assholes; we injected ourselves into a stable coexistence and brought forth all of the old enmities.