I have a question about something Max Cleland said on Countdown

[Poiuyt]

I thought he said something about how al Queda is taking over so much of Iraq because the Sunnis invited them in to fight the US. I thought the Sunnis and al Queda were enemies. Wouldn't the Shiites have better relations with al Queda? Or am I all mixed up?

[Subdivisions]

1. He said Shiites. You are mixed up. Don't worry though, it was

something I had to do a double take on and when I replayed it in my head, turns out he was referring to an Al Queda/Shiite alliance. But I think he was the one that was really mixed up, though I believe he knows the difference.

[savemefromdumbya]

2. I think Osama (call me Tim) Bin Ladin is a Sunni?

[Kagemusha]

3. Absolutely Osama is Sunni. Shiites are heretics to his movement.

The point is that the Sunnis are in a simmering civil conflic with the Shiites (who dominate the Iraqi Army and police) and are welcoming whatever help they can get now.

But again, I really, really can't stand equating all insurgents/ guerillas with Al Qaeda in Iraq. But the guerillas themselves do not mind this illusion because it distracts their enemies.

[panader0]

Gorilla, Guerilla, Shiite, Sunni, Protestant, Catholic, black, white

We're all bozos on this bus. We had better learn to appreciate our differences rather than fight over them. My kids are 13 (2) and 15. when they wre little they argued over toys etc. It seems that so many never grow up.

[panader0]

5. Gorilla, Guerilla, Shiite, Sunni, Protestant, Catholic, black, white

We're all bozos on this bus. We had better learn to appreciate our differences rather than fight over them. My kids are 13 (2) and 15. when they wre little they argued over toys etc. It seems that so many never grow up.

[The_Casual_Observer]

4. Shia, Sunni, what's the difference? They are all killing each other

& we are in the middle of it/reheated it. Freepers will try & get you all tangled up in the nuances, tribal and ethnic names, and who's to blame as if they knew anything about it either. The only thing that matters is that we stirred this shit up & now haven't got the slightest idea of how to get out without losing our grip on the oil wells.

[ellenfl]

6. i heard that the sunnis and al qa'ida

were setting up shop in the anbar province.

ellen fl

[Historic NY]

7. An Bar Province which is over 55000 sq miles.

AnBar is becoming a wild lawless frontier beyond the control of the U.S. or Iraq governments.


US Losing Control of al-Anbar Province
by Dahr Jamail With Ali al-Fadhily

RAMADI - The U.S. military has lost control over the volatile al-Anbar province, Iraqi police and residents say.

The area to the west of Baghdad includes Fallujah, Ramadi, and other towns that have seen the worst of military occupation, and the strongest resistance.

Despite massive military operations that destroyed most of Fallujah and much of cities like Haditha and al-Qa'im in Ramadi, real control of the area now seems to be in the hands of local resistance.

In losing control of this province, the U.S. would have lost control over much of Iraq.

<snip>

http://www.antiwar.com/jamail/?articleid=9652

http://www.windsofchange.net/archives/006893.php

http://jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?issue_id=3403

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Anbar