When You're a Shiite, You're a Shiite All the Way

From your first cigarette to your last dying day:

From Knight-Ridder:

Sectarian resentment extends to Iraq's army

The Bush administration's exit strategy for Iraq rests on two pillars: an inclusive, democratic political process that includes all major ethnic groups and a well-trained Iraqi national army. But a week spent eating, sleeping and going on patrol with a crack unit of the Iraqi army - the 4,500-member 1st Brigade of the 6th Iraqi Division - suggests that the strategy is in serious trouble. Instead of rising above the ethnic tension that's tearing their nation apart, the mostly Shiite troops are preparing for, if not already fighting, a civil war against the minority Sunni population.

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"In Amariyah last week, a car bomb hit a U.S. Humvee and their soldiers began to shoot randomly. They killed a lot of innocent civilians. I was there; I saw it," said Sgt. Fadhal Yahan. "This happens all the time. If they keep doing this, the people will attack them. And we are part of the people."

Sgt. Jawad Majid chimed in: "We have our marja'iya [the ruling council of clerics led by al-Sistani] and we are waiting for them to decide when the time to fight (the Americans) is, when it is no longer time to be silent."

We are training and arming the Iraqis for their coming civil war. Our troops will be fortunate to be withdrawn before the guns of our trainees are turned against us.