Informed Comment

Juan Cole , a history prof at U of Michigan has a very nice and succinct review of the cultural divide over Iraq, using the slide show I referenced yesterday on Fallujah. He is dead on re: the "liberal" v. "conservative" views on the use of force to settle issues like these. My only criticism is that he makes an assumption that Sunni opposition to the occupation is equivalent to the willingness of the population to take up arms. My contention is that MAYBE these "weekend warriors" he cites are willing to take up arms only so long as they think they can win. Fallujah showed them that we WILL kill you, and we WILL kill you in disproportionate numbers. Further, you saw marines entering mosques and graveyards that had been co-opted for military use, and there was no hysterical uprising by Sunnis (or Shiites) over this "desecration" by "infidels." That is the most telling point about Fallujah, in my opinion.

Sullen resentment from a population segment used to being minority rulers does not necessitate endless bloodshed to the point that government cannot function. Just ask Northern Ireland about that.