In recent days, Sunni Muslim organizations charged that many innocent Iraqis were arrested and most were Sunnis, the minority that dominated the country during Saddam's rule and are believed to form the backbone of the violent insurgency.
Regardless of the complaints and the acknowledged mistakes, the crackdown — dubbed Operation Lighting — entered its second week Sunday and appeared to have somewhat blunted insurgent attacks in the capital.
The charges of over-zealous behavior by the military and police as they seek to roust the insurgents coincide with government efforts to include Sunni Arabs in the political process, and to get them involved in drafting Iraq's new constitution. Sunni approval is necessary for the charter's adoption in a national referendum. It is to be ready by mid-August and approved in an October plebescite.
"We should not forget the bigger picture, which is that the security forces have a duty to combat the (terrorist) cells that take out their anger and violence on the Iraqi people," Kuba said. "This is not a public relations exercise, this is a tough confrontation, and it is with the best troops we have in our hands."
First of all, the Sunnis "are believed to form the backbone of the violent insurgency"? Believed? Just who does the AP think are behind it? Crusaders? The Pope? Jerry Falwell? The Women's Studies Program at Berkeley? Good grief! The refusal to even name who is fighting is now politically incorrect? Or inconvenient?
And what of the title? It would be hard not to target Moslems in a crackdown in Iraq. Just how many non-Moslems are there in Iraq?! I'd be real shocked if the Iraqi government had rounded up 700 Baptists, for example.
So yes, Iraqis are targetting Sunni Moslems who are the backbone of the insurgency. And this effort has had an impact in blunting the attacks. Big freaking duh.
