Payback - Gangland Style


When violence might just be violence.

Strategy Page writes about the ongoing violence in Iraq . Their analysis is that this is not not so much Civil War, but gangland style warfare. Revenge between aggrieved factions. Think Crips v. Bloods, or Mafia family rivalries...but on a grander scale.


Deaths from revenge killings now exceed those from terrorist or anti-government activity. Al Qaeda is beaten, and running for cover. The Sunni Arab groups that financed thousands of attacks against the government and coalition groups, are now battling each other, al Qaeda, and Shia death squads. It's not civil war, for there are no battles or grand strategies at play. It's not ethnic cleansing, yet, although many Sunni Arabs are, and have, fled the country.  What's happening here is payback.

This is not to say that continued violence might not ultimately lead to Civil War, but this ain't it. Yet.

(Hat tip: Instapundit)

Posted: Sun - March 26, 2006 at 07:50 PM          


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