The Insurangency

The face of the insurgency is changing in Iraq and the US is no longer the primary target. Okay, that's not news, but this article has a fascinating in-depth roundup of just what that means, from the very personal perspective of a Guardian reporter who has contacts in the insurgency.

To be frank, I'm not sure how I feel about a reporter maintaining a relationship with insurgents. It makes for incredible reading, but I'm certain that the insights could be had, and far being had by the US military without permitting reporters to make friends with killers.

Okay, well, I talked myself into it. I'm against this whole concept, but the article is gripping nonetheless...

One morning a few weeks ago I sat in a car talking to Rami, a thick-necked former Republican Guard commando who now procures arms for his fellow Sunni insurgents.
Rami was explaining how the insurgency had changed since the first heady days after the US invasion. "I used to attack the Americans when that was the jihad. Now there is no jihad. Go around and see in Adhamiya [the notorious Sunni insurgent area] - all the commanders are sitting sipping coffee; it's only the young kids that are fighting now, and they are not fighting Americans any more, they are just killing Shia. There are kids carrying two guns each and they roam the streets looking for their prey. They will kill for anything, for a gun, for a car and all can be dressed up as jihad."

You gotta read the whole thing: "The jihad now..."