Wednesday, April 07, 2004

It gets worse:

FALLUJAH, Iraq - U.S. Marines in a fierce battle for this Sunni Muslim stronghold fired rockets that destroyed part of a wall surrounding a mosque compound filled with worshippers Wednesday, and witnesses said as many as 40 people were killed. Shiite-inspired violence spread to key cities in Iraq... The strike came as worshippers had gathered for afternoon prayers, witnesses said. Temporary hospitals were set up in private homes to treat the wounded and prepare the dead for burial....Scores of Iraqis also have been wounded, as mosques called for a holy war against Americans and women carried guns in the streets of Fallujah.

How the hell are we going to handle this? If you can believe Juan Cole (a regular on the Lehrer Show), there's intense fighting going on in two districts in Baghdad; Sadr's taken Najaf (confirmed by CNN yesterday); the Ukrainians have ceded Kut (confirmed by the New York Times); there's fighting in Karbala involving the Poles; there's fighting in Nasiriyah involving the Italians; fighting in Amara against the British; fighting between the Spanish and Sadr's militia in Diwaniyah; and fighting with the British in Basra.
Mission accomplished, eh George?
And an even more troubling question: what do we do now?