U.S. Supports Shiite Side Of Iraqi Civil War

The latest joint U.S. and Iraqi soldier mission is another example of the U.S. taking sides and supporting the Shiite side of the Iraqi civil war.

The latest effort can be justified by the U.S. on several grounds, as it can be argued that it is payback for the damage to the golden domed Mosque and that any capture of arms or explosives saves lives, boh of U.S. soldiers, but mainly Iraqi citizens as well. However, the Iraqi forces are largely Shiite forces attacking Sunni insurgents while the violence of Shiite militia groups goes largely ignored by the U.S.

Shiite Militia members were likely the one's responsible for the execution style murders and strangulations of 86 mainly Sunni men the other day in Iraq. This is largely ignored by the U.S. because the Shiites are the largest secular group in Iraq, and Shiite militia members such as the Badr and Wolf Brigades are members of the new Iraqi government and hold a nunmber of provincial governorships or other positions.

Last year when 120 armed members replaced the secular Mayor of Bagdad in an armed coup with a Badr Brigade militia member, the U.S. did nothing.

A popular TV program features members of the Wolf Brigade brutally mistreating Sunni citizens suspected of insurgent support. It has become sort of like the Shiite version of the U.S. police program, COPS. And much of jail and prison abuse of Sunni citizens suspected of insurgent support has also been by Shiite militia members.

On one hand, the U.S. wants an unity government in Iraq as well as peace, yet on the other hand looks the other way at organizaed Shiite militia violence against the Suuni community. About the only purpose that the U.S. currently serves is that even worse militia violence would result if the U.S. were removed from Iraq.

The U.S. may feel that siding with the Shiite community, whilw even some of the worst violence comes from this side is important because the Shiite ethnic group is the largest ethnic group in Iraq. However the continued violence from the Shitte militia groups such as abducting Sunni men on the street or from their homes and murdering them in some back alley or burying these bodies in mass graves only helps to continue the cycle of violence in Iraq.

The U.S. may feel that for the sake of peace with the largest ethnic group that such violence and lawlessness can be overlooked. But this violence only fuels continued Sunni violence as well as a reaction.

An even handed and consistent policy in Iraq that quells violence of all sorts would be the proper role for the U.S. in Iraq. True national unity and a state of relative ethnic peace is difficult when the U.S. chooses to take sides in the Iraq civil war.