NOW can we call it a civil war?

Republicans seem to be slowly coming around to admitting that nearly three quarters of the country think that Iraq is a disastrous hell hole, and a few of them are even standing up on their hind legs and suggesting that a "change of course" may be in order. (Largely prompted, I'm sure, by watching their poll numbers going down faster than Ann Coulter at a GOP Convention.) However, one thing they have steadfastly refused to admit is that Bush's adventure in Iraq has cracked the country open and fired up a full blown civil war. All they'll ever say is that Iraq "may be getting dangerously close to" a civil war - generally said in conjuction with a dire warning of what will happen if Democrats are elected. The spineless outlets of themajor MSM continue to coddle them and say the same thing.

Now, however, there may be no way left to hide from awful truth. Families Flee Iraqi River Towns On 4th Day of Sectarian Warfare.

BAGHDAD, Oct. 16 -- Families fled in search of safety Monday as open warfare raged for a fourth day between Shiite militias and armed Sunni men in Tigris River towns north of Baghdad. Militias allied with Iraq's Shiite-led government held sway in Balad city, forcing out Sunni families and leaving the bodies of slain Sunni men to rot in the streets, according to police, residents and hospital officials.

The Iraqi government deployed still more reinforcements to try to calm the embattled towns and hold open the main roads, Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Kareem al-Kinani said in the capital. But local police officers accused Shiite-dominated government police forces of working alongside Shiite militias in executing Sunnis and appealed for more help.

So, once again... why is pulling our troops out of Iraq not "cutting and running" or anything else that the right wing nuthouse is yammering on about? Because, kids... we no longer have a dog in this fight. And we certainly have no place in determining who wins that country's civil war. You wanted our boys and girls to go in there and depose Saddam and look for his weapons of mass destruction. Ok, fine. Saddam is heading for the gallows, and we've dug up the entire joint and there's no weapons to worry about anymore, if there ever were. Mission accomplished. The sooner we get out of the way, the sooner the Iraqis can finish their shooting match and declare a winner.

Maybe then they'll come up with a stable government. We're sure as hell not able to force one on them.