Sunni or Shia?

Yes, a very good question and one which is extremely important in understanding the 'enemy'. One wonders whether many of the armed forces in Iraq - and, for that matter, Afghanistan - have a grasp of this fundamental difference.

A real understanding of the protagonists and their cultures would go a long way to producing a peaceful solution. Instead it now appears that the USA is considering dividing Iraq along geographical lines. If this happens one can expect wholesale slaughter and/or displacement of isolated communities.

It's funnny how those people when asked about sunni and shia always seem to bring up al-Qaeda, or as some wags call them (quite rightly too!) al-CIAda.

An honest assessment of the situation could only lead to the conclusion that the U.S. has shown arrogance and stupidity in their attitude to Iraq.

As we know, of course, anyone who has the bare faced audacity to tell the truth about Iraq is likely to be looking for new employment in short order (unless they're a General). I imagine Mr Fernandez is just about to find that out.

As more and more people start to realise what an enormous mess has been created in Iraq, it is we vital that we continue to press for these arrogant stupid people to be held to account for their fatal misjudgements. And not just because it is right but because it will make future leaders think twice before making similar catastrophic errors. Never again must our leaders be allowed to rush to war based on willful ignorance of the entirely predictable consequences of their actions, blind optimism and lies.

' . . It is allowed on all Hands, that the primitive way of breaking Eggs, before we eat them, was upon the larger End: But his present Majesty's Grand-father, while he was a Boy, going to eat an Egg, and breaking it according to the ancient Practice, happened to cut one of his Fingers. Whereupon the Emperor his Father published an Edict, commanding all his Subjects, upon great Penaltys, to break the smaller End of their Eggs.

The People so highly resented this Law, that our Histories tell us there have been six Rebellions raised on that account; wherein one Emperor lost his Life, and another his Crown. These civil Commotions were constantly fomented by the Monarchs of Blefuscu; and when they were quelled, the Exiles always fled for Refuge to that Empire. It is computed, that eleven thousand Persons have, at several times, suffered Death, rather than submit to break their Eggs at the smaller End. Many hundred large Volumes have been published upon this Controversy: But the books of the Big-Endians have been long forbidden, and the whole Party rendered incapable by Law of holding Employments.

During the Course of these Troubles, the Emperors of Blefuscu did frequently expostulate by their Ambassadors, accusing us of making a Schism in Religion, by offending against a fundamental Doctrine of our great Prophet Lustrog, in the fifty-fourth Chapter of the Brundrecal (which is their Alcoran.) This, however, is thought to be a meer Strain upon the Text: For the Words are these: That all true Believers shall break their Eggs at the convenient End: and which is the convenient End, seems, in my humble Opinion, to be left to every Man's Conscience, or at least in the power of the Chief Magistrate to determine. Now the Big-Endian Exiles have found so much Credit in the Emperor of Blefuscu's Court, and so much private Assistance and Encouragement from their Party here at home, that a bloody War has been carried on between the two Empires for six and thirty Moons with various Success . . ' [Capt. L. Gulliver, 1726]

Who knows? who gives a damn about all these superstitions? This is the 21st century A.D., damnit!

Israel admits WP use in Lebanon
Off topic, but Al Jazeera has this:

"Israel has admitted for the first time to using white phosphorus shells against military targets in southern Lebanon, an Israeli newspaper has reported.

Israel's Haaretz daily newspaper quoted Yakov Edery, the minister for government-paramilitary relations, as saying that the Israeli army used phosphorus shells "in attacks against military targets in open ground".

A spokeswoman for Edery confirmed the report to AFP news agency, saying that Edery was reading the army's response to a query from another Israeli politician.

"This is not his personal opinion, this is what the military told us," said Orly Yechzeken."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/777549.html
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/9491C6CD-868E-4780-9C5F-EFCDFC5DA6C8.htm

Did we supply any White Phosphorous munitions to Isreal or did any of the flights which used UK airports to refuel contain WP munitions during the war?

The answer will be interesting for our own war criminal Blair and his caravaneering Foreign Secretary; neither US or Israel are signed up to the third protocol of the Geneva Convention on Conventional Weapons, which restricts the use of "incendiary weapons," with phosphorus considered to be one such weapon.

The UK is.
Would assisting another counry to receive such proscribed weapons, in full knowledge in what circumstances they would be used, be considered a contravention of the law?

I'm not convinced that it's important to know the difference. Taking the time and trouble to know the difference tends to give it legitimacy. It's just yet another case of, "My imaginary friend is better than your imaginary friend". "My football team is better than your football team, and I'll kill you if you say different." All bollocks. We should just get out and leave them to it. A plague on both their houses.

It's quite a good question to ask, because the follow-on is: "Do you know what a civil war is?" Or: "Do you know what a democracy is?"

Purely for information, neocons believe that Pakistan and Russia are esteemed democracies since the rule is it's okay for "democracies" to have nuclear weapons, but it's dangerous for dictators to hold them.

Point of order - in neo-con speak Pakistan is Bad (although a temporary friend you really don't want to have to deal with), while Russia is perfect - people have the vote, and the strong man at the top ignores them. That's the neo-con model.

Maybe I'm getting Julian Lewis MP confused with a neo-con. It's he who keeps saying that it's a good thing for democracies to have nuclear weapons, and lots of them.