The Iraqis are starting their own crack down by hitting Sunni areas:
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, speaking only hours earlier at a ceremony marking the 85th anniversary of the Iraqi army, announced his intention for the open-ended attempt to crush the militant fighters who have left Baghdad in the grip of sectarian violence.
Hassan al-Suneid, a key aide and member of al-Maliki's Dawa Party, said the Iraqi leader had committed 20,000 soldiers to the operation and would call upon American troops and airpower only when needed.
A stern al-Maliki told the nation the operation in Baghdad would continue "until all goals are achieved and security is ensured for all citizens.
This complements our low key work against Sadr.
Is this a decision that we arrived at where we hit Sadr and the Maliki government doesn't interfere but won't participate; but the Iraqi forces hit the Sunnis to keep the total operation from looking like a defense of the Sunni Arabs? And to forestall Sadr complaints that his militias are being uniquely targetted?
The Sunnis are running out of time. With Sadr being pushed back by our forces, this should make the Sunni Arabs less fearful and more likely to abandon support for the hard core Sunni Arab insurgents. At the same time, the attacks by the Iraqi government should make the Sunni Arab terrorists weaker and so less able to compel Sunnis willing to end the war but fearful of walking away from the killers.
It is a complicated puzzle we are trying to put together. Saddam's method was simpler: keep killing until the civilians stop shooting back. But our method is better in the long run.
