Now, most of the violence in Iraq coming from Shiite militias...not al Qaeda

[kentuck]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/19/world/middleeast/19military.html?hp&ex=1166504400&en=e2248586e9f15b61&ei=5094&partner=homepage

<snip>

ASHINGTON, Dec. 18 — A Pentagon assessment of security conditions in Iraq concluded Monday that attacks against American and Iraqi targets had surged this summer and autumn to their highest level, and called violence by Shiite militants the most significant threat in Baghdad.

The report, which covers the period from early August to early November, found an average of almost 960 attacks against Americans and Iraqis every week, the highest level recorded since the Pentagon began issuing the quarterly reports in 2005, with the biggest surge in attacks against American-led forces. That was an increase of 22 percent from the level for early May to early August, the report said.

<snip>
Shiite militias, the Pentagon report said, also received help from allies among the Iraqi police. “Shia death squads leveraged support from some elements of the Iraqi Police Service and the National Police who facilitated freedom of movement and provided advance warning of upcoming operations,” the report said.

<snip>
“All of us want to find a way to bring America’s sons and daughters home again,” Mr. Gates said. “But as the president has made clear, we simply cannot afford to fail in the Middle East. Failure in Iraq would be a calamity that would haunt our nation, impair our credibility and endanger Americans for decades to come.”

[TechBear_Seattle]

1. From which sect does al Qaida draw it's theology?

I'm inclined to say Wahhabi, which is the state religion of Saudi Arabia and, given the support that the House of Saud has given to al Qaida, seems reasonable.

[kentuck]

2. From my understanding, al Qaeda is mostly connected to the Sunnis..?

Which is even more startling with this report. Neither the Sunnis or al Qaeda are the leading causes of violence, but the Shiite majority which we put in power. We have created a monster we cannot control, it appears.

[xchrom]

3. it's sunni.

or rather a radical verson.

the majority of muslims are sunni -- but not wahabi.

[ET Awful]

4. Yes, to my knowledge, they base their tenets around Wahhabism, which

is, for the most part, an extremist version of the Sunni faith, although they do differ drastically (and condemn Sunnis) in many ways.

[hijinx87]

5. well, that's in baghdad

different sects are the aggressors in different areas of the
country, which is the whole point; the entire country is caught
in the swirl, and headed down the dumper.

but this struck me as especially alarming:

Shiite militias, the Pentagon report said, also received
help from allies among the Iraqi police. “Shia death squads
leveraged support from some elements of the Iraqi Police Service
and the National Police who facilitated freedom of movement and
provided advance warning of upcoming operations,” the report
said.

when the authorities that are ostensibly there to create and
preserve civil order start taking sides, the game is truly over.

[kentuck]

6. And we are training those policemen !

to kill our troops?

[hijinx87]

7. precisely.

that's why I found it so alarming.

there are a great many signs that the administrations entire
approach in iraq, from start to finish, is a debacle, but this
is undoubtedly one of the big ones.

we are training the people that are killing us.

how fucked up is that?

[HuffleClaw]

8. sooner or later they are gonna run out of people to blame

funny considering the list of 'villains' has been largely of their own creation.

[kentuck]

9. I like your sigline.

very appropriate.