Alternative Realities

After the blood-affair that is and continues to be Iraq -- after the NY Times, the Washington Post, NBC News, the respected British Press (the Times) report on the incredible upsurge in sectarian violence.

After a weekend when it is reported that the Iraqi police are infiltrated and dominated through and through by sectarian militia groups.

After a weekend where Sunni groups threaten to pull out of the Iraqi unity government and call on the UN to bring in "peacekeepers" to do the job the Americans will not and cannot perform.

It is, indeed, stupifying to read the post from ERNEST T. BASS, ESQ today to be this (naturally a quote from somewhere else):

The Shia terror against Sunni Arabs has a name, Abu Deraa. He's being called the "Shia Zarqawi" for organizing death squads to take revenge after Sunni Arab suicide bombs kill Shia. . . .

But now, with Zarqawi dead, and most of the country at peace, more and more Sunni Arab tribal chiefs, politicians, business leaders and clerics are resigned to Shia domination. That means giving up the Sunni Arab warlords, gang leaders and terrorist chiefs, the people that make most of the violence happen. It's not like the Sunni Arab leadership can just push a button, and make their bad guys go away. In Arab culture, the process moves a lot more slowly, and involves lots of talking, coffee, promises, deceit and drama. Apparently the drama has been convincing, because the Shia politicians running the country have persuaded Shia military and police units to go after Shia death squads. All of this is going to take months to play out. There will be cries of "Betrayal!" from the Shia community. Some Shia cops and soldiers will balk at busting fellow Shia, even if the perps are stone killers with dozens of bodies on them. However, the national leadership has agreed that peace with the Sunni Arabs, and an end to the vengeance killings, is necessary. Making this happen is the next crucial battle in the war.

Yes, another round of Situation Normal All Fucked Up...and Insty saying "THAT IS ALL PART OF THE MASTER PLAN".

I swear Reynolds isn't a law professor, he's Baldrick from Black Adder with one new "cunning plan" of a disaster after another.

As Atrios commentor "Left in Front" points out, the source of Insty's wisdom is Strategy Page, founded by James Dunnigan -- a Avalon Hill-type War Game enthusiast.

To use another role-playing game analysis, Insty is sure that one of these days Bush is going to roll a pair of "natural 20s".

Such is the nature of our Iraq policy, our War on Terror Policy, and it's prime defenders.