The Iraqi Civil War

On the eve of the the third anniversary of the horror in Iraq, even George W. Bush's favorite pet Iraqi says his country is engaged in a civil war. Not an insurgency. A civil war.

Former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi articulated the obvious in an interview with the BBC.

"It is unfortunate that we are in civil war. We are losing each day as an average 50 to 60 people throughout the country, if not more.

"If this is not civil war, then God knows what civil war is."

Mr Allawi added that a national unity government may not be "an immediate solution" to the country's problems.

Iraq is moving towards the "point of no return", he said, when the country would fragment.

"It will not only fall apart but sectarianism will spread throughout the region, and even Europe and the US will not be spared the violence that results...," he said.

The population of Iraq is roughly one-tenth that of the United States. Imagine ongoing violence on the streets of this country between religious or political enemies in which 500 to 600 people were dying every day, with no solution in sight. What would you call such a conflict?

Bush will never admit that what is happening in Iraq is a civil war. He has to call it an insurgency and blame it on "terrorists," because to acknowledge the obvious is to acknowledge the complete failure of his war of choice.

The difference between an insurgency and a civil war is that insurgents would only be trying to kill us. The Iraqis are killing each other. Grudges are being created that will be as resistant to politics as this year's flu bug is to last year's vaccine.

There is nothing that American forces can do in this civil war short of taking sides. If Bush is unwilling to take sides, it is time to bring our troops home.

I have said it before and I will say it again: Democrats, if you have any moral courage at all, you must lead on this issue.