WHICH WAS THE POINT:

Sunni militia strike could derail US strategy against al-Qaida (Maggie O'Kane and Ian Black, March 21 2008, Guardian)

The success of the US "surge" strategy in Iraq may be under threat as Sunni militia employed by the US to fight al-Qaida are warning of a national strike because they are not being paid regularly.

Leading members of the 80,000-strong Sahwa, or awakening, councils have said they will stop fighting unless payment of their $10 a day (£5) wage is resumed. The fighters are accusing the US military of using them to clear al-Qaida militants from dangerous areas and then abandoning them.

Did they really think we were going to leave our allies, the Shi'a majority and the independent Kurds, to face a well-organized and well-armed Sunni opposition?

Posted by Orrin Judd at March 20, 2008 7:54 PM