Suicide bomber hits American-supported Sunnis

There are slightly conflicting reports about the suicide bomber who killed at least 15 people and wounded 30+ north of Baghdad earlier today (not sure if bomber was male or female, not sure of the allegiance, etc). But the striking thing to me is not the specifics of the attack, but the casual way news reports are describing the target of the attack: former insurgents now working with Americans.

For the millionth time, the greatest threat to a stable (or at least stabilizing) Iraq is the Sunni anti-government insurgency. So-called al Qaeda in Iraq is an accelerant to the violence, but it doesn't have nearly the impact ascribed to it by US government and military officials. Just weeks ago, the US was claiming that AQI was wiped out, and surely when locals stop tolerating the foreigners in their midst, AQI will be driven out. But instead of recognizing this and pushing for political reconciliation between the Shia government and dissatisfied Sunnis, we've allied with the insurgents -- again, the main problem for stability -- against a more minor threat to the country.

After years of rhetoric about how the nationalistic Iraqi insurgents were really terrorists, and how no one could negotiate -- much less work with! -- terrorists, the "former insurgents" (now that they've temporarily shifted focus, I suppose) are now our buddies. The lack of critical analysis of a shift in strategy so sudden and drastic it could cause whiplash is really amazing. And round and round it goes.