Civil war in Iraq? The view from Baghdad

Correspondent Terry McCarthy blogs from Baghdad: Baghdad was not surprised by the statements of General Abizaid and the leaked memo by departing U.K. Ambassador William Patey about the growing risk of civil war. For many people here they were merely stating the obvious. People in this city live with the daily reality of sectarian attacks against mosques and other targets associated particularly with Sunnis or Shiites. (At left, Abizaid testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee today.) Although there is not a civil war yet, there is great fear that that is the direction events are taking. There are a number of neighborhoods in Baghdad that used to have mixed Sunni-Shiite populations that have now polarized around one sect, causing mass departures by members of the other sect. The government has promised to start reconciliation talks between Sunnis and Shiites, but so far little has been achieved. (At right, Patey and Tony Blair in Iraq in May.) One of the main problems is that the security forces, particularly the police, are controlled by Shiites and are widely thought to be harboring some of the sectarian death squads, so far from being part of the solution; they are actually part of the problem. The bombing last night of a soccer field in which 12 young men, mostly Shiites, were killed, is a demonstration of how ruthless and determined are the forces that are trying to tear this country apart.