Bloody Days for Iraqi Civilians

Baghdad market car bomb kills 62 - Jul 1, 2006: (CNN) -- "A car bomb ripped through a packed Baghdad marketplace Saturday morning, killing at least 62 people and wounding 114 others," Iraqi emergency police said.

                                    A woman picks her way over the 
                                    wreckage from the bomb blast.

What do we do about Iraq?

The basic problem is that the Iraq war has displaced the Sunni Muslims from power. The Sunnis want two things: they want their power back, and they want the infidels out of their country. The Shia Muslims want to keep their newfound power, share a bit of it, just enough to make the Sunnis happy, and also get rid of the infidels.

Saddam Hussein, a Sunni, ruled this fractious country by being mean. Still, he kept most of the Iraqi's safe, and he made the "trains run on time." The Sunnis learned their lessons from Saddam. Their theory is that whoever can be the most vicious will win out in the end. So they kill innocent men, women and children, no matter that they are Muslims.

There can be only one of two outcomes in Iraq. The vicious Sunnis will ultimately succeed and retake power. Or, the Shia will find the wisdom and strength to stand up to the bullying, and slowly win some Sunnis to their side.

The U.S. can help up to a point. Ultimately, though, the crucial questions are: Which side in Iraq wants it more? Are the Shia willing to die for a better Iraq, or are they going to be slaughtered anyway by not fighting?