Iraq: February 14, 2004

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In their boldest attack yet, some fifty pro-Sunni fighters, in the Sunni Arab town of Falluja, attacked a police station with mortars and machine-guns. The police not only lost at least 20 dead, but saw the invading gunmen free several prisoners before the police regained control of the compound. The Sunni Arab resistance, foiled in their attacks against Americans, are increasingly going after the growing number of Iraqi police and security troops. The Iraqi cops are quicker at figuring out who the Sunni fighters are, and have back up from American troops when the police stage raids to arrest suspects. Most Sunni Arabs are willing to give democracy a chance, but many Sunnis have reasons (blood on their hands, preference for dictatorship, distaste for Shia majority rule) to continue fighting. The Sunni Arab resistance has no prospect of success, at least not in the near future. No way are the Shia Arabs or Kurds going to allow the Sunni Arabs back in power. Nor will the coalition tolerate the return of Sunni Arab rule.