Silence of the World's Muslim Community
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More than 200 dead in the last five days! At this rate the number of Iraqis killed in factional violence will soon exceed the number killed directly or indirectly in actions of the Coalition (mainly U.S.) forces. In the absence of an outcry one has to come to the conclusion that the Muslims don't care. The Islamic world has failed miserably to condemn the violence in Iraq. Every day Iraqis, mostly ordinary citizens, are dying horrible deaths at the hands of extremists---Sunnis, Shias, al Qaeda members. Mercifully, "collateral damage" from military actions is no longer a daily occurrence.

We don't hear about Mullahs speaking out; we don't know of any leader in the Middle East who has taken a position to do something about the butchery that is going on. The silence is deafening. It is shameful and cowardly.

Iraqis killing Iraqis, in the name of God or in the battle to gain power. Do we have a hand in it? Yes, inasmuch as we went there to establish a handpicked government that would be a lackey. The plan misfired. Now we are stuck in another quagmire. True, it has not reached the size of Vietnam but two and half years have passed since the first pair of boots hit the ground. More than 1900 of our men and women in uniform have died there. What have we achieved ? Saddam and his goons are no longer there. Others have taken their place.