THE LESSON FROM SPAIN

Here’s a quote from a Sadr relative that speaks volumes: “We may be unable to drive the Americans out of Iraq. But we can drive George W. Bush out of the White House.” The violence in Iraq is designed to exert pressure indirectly by leveraging opposition to the war in the U.S. and Britain. The sadr-masochists know they cannot overwhelm the coalition militarily, so they need to destroy its morale at home, as well as create constant instability in Iraq. One obvious point: this uprising isn’t over and it’s having its effect.