Shi'ites, Sunnis amass arms

[ECH1969]

Rival Shi'ite and Sunni groups are massing their militias in expectation of major confrontations, Iraqis say, even as President Bush prepares to meet today with the nation's embattled prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki. snip.

One secular Shi'ite speaking on the telephone from Baghdad said Shi'ite militias were massing in preparation for a large offensive against Sunnis in the capital. "They had a big militarylike ceremony today for the Mahdi militia, to show their force. They are making themselves ready for something big -- protests, fighting, killing," said the Shi'ite. snip.

"You are faced with the fact that Sadr has to be stopped, or you have to concede the battle of Baghdad to him," said security analyst Robert Killebrew.

"In the past 30 days, what we've got is the Sadr militia openly trying to take over Baghdad and run the Sunnis out, and we simply can't tolerate Sadr any longer," Mr. Killebrew said. "He has emerged as our number one problem in Iraq."

http://washingtontimes.com/world/20061128-115226-2217r_page2.htm

[uppityperson]

1. oh man oh man oh man

my heart is breaking

[Old and In the Way]

2. The Pentagon was pulling 30,000 troops out of Anbar Province

into Baghdad....I bet there's a linkage. This is going to get crazy, a 3 way fight? Or will we choose sides? Either side we choose will have major repercussions for US policy in the ME.

[seriousstan]

3. Allow them to get armed and amass in large groups and then...

BOOM

[krispos42]

4. And NBC is calling this a 'civil war' now

Looks like they're the least-far-behind on the curve. Any takers on when Faux News will use the 'c' word?

I'm betting on Febuary 28, 2014. It's a Friday.