Is it a civil war, or isn’t it?

[kpete]

Is it a civil war, or isn’t it?
ASK THIS | July 28, 2006

There are objective characteristics that all modern civil wars share.
Harvard public policy professor Monica Toft lists six criteria.
Hint: Iraq meets all of them.

By Monica Duffy Toft
[e-mail]

There are six criteria for considering a conflict a civil war.

Q. Is the focus of the war control over which group governs the political unit?

Q. Are there at least two groups of organized combatants?

Q. Is the state one of the combatants?

Q. Are there at least 1,000 battle deaths per year on average?

more at:
http://www.niemanwatchdog.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=ask_this.view&askthisid=00220
Q. Is the ratio of total deaths at least 95 percent to 5 percent? In other words, has the stronger side suffered at least 5 percent of the casualties?

Q. Is the war occurring within the boundaries of an internationally recognized state or entity?

[NNN0LHI]

1. Was Vietnam in a civil war while the USA occupied that country - Yes

Was Vietnam in a civil war after the USA left that country? - No

Could the same thing be happening in Iraq? - Yes

Don

[panader0]

2. Didn't the Iraqi ambassador just admit that it was?

[TechBear_Seattle]

3. No, as there is nothing civil going on there

Sorry, couldn't resist. :hide:

[spartan61]

4. This is a great question!!

I have been asking it for the past couple of months. All the pundits keep saying "Iraq is on the brink of civil war." When does it go from "brink" to an actual civil war? As far as I am concerned, it is a civil war. Why is it so hard for this administration to face up to it?? I know, I know, they aren't going to admit anything that shows how badly they screwed up. They only want us to know all the "good things" going on in Iraq. Ummmm, what good things????