Reuters: UN sounds alarm as killing threatens Iraq govt

[Eugene]

UN sounds alarm as killing threatens Iraq govt

Jul 19, 2006 — By Alastair Macdonald

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The United States told Iraq's leaders in stern language
on Wednesday they must act swiftly to halt a surge in attacks by both Sunnis
and Shi'ites that the United Nations said risks pitching the nation into civil
war.

On a day of more gun attacks, bombings and the kidnap of 19 Sunni mosque
officials, the U.S. ambassador and U.S. commander in Iraq implicitly blamed
Shi'ite and Sunni groups respectively for two major attacks that killed some
120 people this week.

In a blunt statement, Zalmay Khalilzad and General George Casey condemned
"terrorists" and "death squads" and said: "We call on Iraqi leaders to take
responsibility and pursue reconciliation not just in words, but through deeds
as well."

With the casualty count climbing to some 100 civilian deaths a day by a U.N.
estimate, Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki goes to Washington next week,
where officials hope he can help them convince American voters that Iraq is
turning a corner.

<snip>

Full article: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2211637

I sincerly hope he didn't actually say "turning a corner."

[TomInTib]

1. WTF are they going to do about it?

I mean, come on.
We are just shifting responsibility to the toothless Iraqi government.

I'll bet those guys were just rolling around on the floor after Casey and Khalilzad left the room.

Lewis Carroll, where are you when we really need you?

on edit: I read the entire article and have concluded that Mr Carroll is alive and well and still writing.

k&r

[David__77]

2. How many thousands die before it's "civil war?"

Everyone in the media is talking about "risk" of civil war. So, how much violence must occur for them to say "there is a civil war in Iraq."

By the way, this "civil war" was always the strategy of the U.S. Otherwise, the Iraqis would be unitedly fighting occupation.