Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Sunnis will take on Zarqawi when 'ready'
Iraq's Sunnis will take on top terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi once they accept the Shiite-run government in that country, a senior U.S. official said.
The unidentified official told the Washington Times the Sunnis also would rid the country of foreign saboteurs after their wishes are met.
The official's comments were based on numerous meetings with what he called "influential fence sitters," the newspaper said.
The official said the fence sitters had told him they are only tolerating foreign terrorists because they are a "pressure tool" to force the Shiites and the United States to consider Sunni political demands for more representation in the Baghdad government.
"The Iraqis will kill every foreigner who comes into their neighborhood when they're ready," said the official. "They don't want foreigners in Iraq."
About Zarqawi, one Sunni was quoted as telling the official: "We'll catch him when we're ready."
The U.S. official said: "The Sunnis are broken up into many fragmented groups. Many don't want us to leave. Iraqi intelligence is telling us this every day."
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2 comments:
Many don't, but most do.
I have no doubt that most Iraqis don't want the U.S. or any other armed force, other than their own, in their country. But I'll bet you the vast majority want us to stay there until their own military is able to function well enough to take over.
The odd thing is that the way for the Sunnis to get some concessions is to show that they can put a stop to Zarqawi and his murderous fanatic brethren, and can work toward a free Iraq along with the Shi'a. The longer Zarqawi is actively trying to blow up the new government, and the more havoc he causes, the longer it will take before the Iraqis will be able to take over and the longer it will be until the new government will be willing to let the U.S. leave.
The Sunnis just don't get it. Their radical element is focused on regaining power. They believe that by killing U.S. soldiers and innocent men, women and children that they will be able to frighten their Iraqi countrymen into giving up on a free Iraq. I'm betting that isn't going to happen.
If they were smart, they'd participate in the new government as an honest and forthright partner with their countrymen. They would hammer the radical element and put them out of business. But the fanatics are so blinded by the lust for power that they are willing to pervert their "religion" to justify killing innocent Muslims. (Muslims are the targets of Muslims: "A religion of peace," so they say.) And the "moderate Muslims" are unwilling or unable to reign in the fanatics.
As badly as both the Iraqis and Americans want the U.S. military out of Iraq, it will be a long time coming.
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