Sign of Civil War: Iraqi Shiites Fleeing Their Homes

I read this story yesterday, but it's impact didn't really hit me until today. Shiites in Iraq who live in mixed areas are fleeing their homes in light of their fear of sectarian violence:
In the face of ongoing sectarian violence, hundreds of Shi'ite Muslim families have fled to the Shi'ite-dominated cities in the country's south seeking shelter with relatives, according to local officials."We managed to put up generators to ensure electricity for displaced families, and we're still providing them with blankets, beds, foodstuffs and cooking stoves," said Ali Abbas, a representative of the Ministry of Displacement and Migration.
This is the surest sign I've seen yet that Iraq has descended into civil war. The Sunnis and Shiites are literally separating themselves geographically. How long before we have Shiite and Sunni refugee camps, I wonder? And how long before the Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias start forcing citizens out of their homes and into those camps? Things are looking very grim indeed, and anyone who denies that there is a civil war going on is simply not looking at the hard facts on the ground.
KEYWORDS: Iraq, Civil War
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Sign of Civil War: Iraqi Shiites Fleeing Their Homes | 1 comment (1 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)
Sign of Civil War: Iraqi Shiites Fleeing Their Homes | 1 comment (1 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)



