US now the common enemy of Sunni and Shiite Muslims in Iraq: experts

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040408/pl_afp/iraq_us_britain_analysis&cid=1521&ncid=1473

LONDON (AFP) - Sunni and Shiite Muslims have found a common enemy in the US-led coalition occupying Iraq (news - web sites), while the violence raging across the country is partly linked to the approaching return of Iraqi sovereignty, experts said.


Any power occupying a foreign country has two options, said Nadim Shehadi, an expert from the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London.


"You can divide and rule, or you can attack everybody and the effect is that you unite them against you," Shehadi told AFP.


The latter was the situation now faced by the United States and its allies in Iraq, he said.

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1. Can it get any more screwed up over there?

Developments in Iraq
2 minutes ago

By The Associated Press

Major developments in Iraq

Seven South Koreans and three Japanese were being held by insurgents in Iraq, and captors armed with automatic rifles and swords threatened to burn the Japanese alive if Tokyo did not withdraw from the U.S.-led coalition. Japan said it has no plans to pull out. Two aid workers who are Arab residents of Jerusalem — including one with a driver's license from the U.S. state of Georgia — also were reported kidnapped by Iraqi insurgents.


_ Sunni insurgents killed a U.S. Marine in the battle for Fallujah.


_ Anti-U.S. Shiite militiamen held partial or full control over three southern Iraqi cities — Kut, Najaf and Kufa. The top U.S. military official in Iraq, Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, said coalition forces would move soon to break their hold in Kut in an operation dubbed "Resolute Sword."


_ Sanchez also said it appeared there are links "at the lowest levels" between the Shiite militia and Sunni Arab insurgents who have long fought U.S. troops in central Iraq.


_ Three explosions rocked central Baghdad, with smoke rising from the Green Zone — the sealed-off neighborhood where the U.S.-led coalition has its headquarters. The military did not immediately report any casualties.


_ Iraq's interior minister, who leads security forces, resigned at the request of the United States. It was unclear if Nuri al-Badran's resignation was connected to the failure of Iraqi police to confront
the insurgents

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040408/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_developments&cid=540&ncid=1480

[eyesroll]

2. Well, I guess * really is a uniter, not a divider...

:puke:

[LynneSin]

3. See, Bush was telling the truth: He's a UNITER not a DIVIDER

unfortunately it was the wrong country

[no_hypocrisy]

4. * kept his campaign promise: He's a united, not a divider.

Way to go Whistleass!!

5. Bush the uniter....

"Sunni and Shiite Muslims have found a common enemy in the US-led coalition occupying Iraq"

Takes a special talent, don't you think?

6. LOL

We all jumped on the uniter, not divider theme.
Some things are just plain obvious.

[newyawker99]

15. Hi Sticky!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Mari333]

7. could you guys please call your congress and senate

and ask them to bring the troops home? Michael is in Baghdad and they are attacking right where he is.
I cant be the only voice calling them to demand the troops be sent home.
please.

[calimary]

14. I second that request.

The TOLL FREE CAPITOL HILL SWITCHBOARD NUMBER is in my sig line. Mari, we're with ya! You couldn't be more correct about your request. OUR REPS NEED TO HEAR FROM US. THEY CERTAINLY ARE HEARING, EN MASSE, FROM THE UBER-ORGANIZED ROVE/FLUSH/POX NEWS/CHRISTIAN COALITION MACHINERY.

BANK ON IT.

[fishnfla]

8. "American policy is seen as a threat to everybody in the region"

Not just in Iraq, but in surrounding countries. They are now saying that they warned the shrub admin that SH was only part of the problem, but we didnt listen.

Democracy by gunpoint is not fertile.

[bleedingheart]

9. There are 26 Million Iraqis, they outnumber our troops by a wide

margin...if they unite against us we will lose unless we do the unthinkable and launch some mass genocide...

I am really worried for our troops over there.

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. But, but but Mr Secretary it has no depth, RIGHT?

RIGHT!

Or did anyone miss Rummy's press conference last night?

And yes we only need the Kurds to join the Great Arab Revolt of 2004

[cliss]

11. I'm really worried for our troops because

of the explosive potential of this. I don't see how the Americans can quell the situation which seems to be getting out of control more and more. The more they move in and crack down, the more resistance they will create.

The Iraqis are not helpless. Iraq has 26 million people (we've lost a few). The troops are 135,000 and 26,000 of those are foreign troops. That's 1 American to 200 Iraqis; quite outnumbered.

Also, they probably have access to arms and ammunition. The entire Middle East will be supplying them; they definitely have the financial resources.

I would say this is going to get very, very ugly. Rumsfeld is saying that this is only a small minority that is responsible for this uprising. Not so.

[leftchick]

12. I agree cliss...

this is bad bad bad. Teryang has an excellent post about this somewhere in LBN. I will see if I can find and link it because it is an excellent assesment of the current situation.

[methinks2]

13. thanks a lot Mr. Prez

I feel safer now! :wtf: :dunce:

[The_Casual_Observer]

16. Sometimes I wish that DU wasn't always right about this stuff

Just once it would a nice change if Rumsfeld would tell the truth or make a positive move. But alas, in the time wrinkle we now exist in since the stolen election, that would be an impossible natural contradiction.