Iraq: Sectarian Malice in Wonderland

Three interrelated pieces of news that show just how bizarre things have become in Iraq:

A day after thumbing his nose at Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki and pulling his supporters out of the government, anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr (photo) says he is working on a "national front" political alliance with Sunnis and Christians to try to block extension of the U.N.'s multinational force mandate.

More here.

The Saudi government is making noises that it will come to the aid of the beleaguered Sunni minority if there are troop withdrawals that would lead them further exposed to Shiite atrocities.

More here.

The Bush administration is deliberating whether to abandon reconciliation efforts with Sunni insurgents and instead give priority to Shiites and Kurds, who now dominate the government. Some insiders are calling the proposal the "80 percent solution." Sunnis make up about 20 percent of Iraq's 26 million people.

More here.

An influential faction of the Sunni insurgency that reportedly was involved in secret talks with the U.S. only last month is calling on its brothers in Baghdad to wage "a war of destiny" against Shiites in a further racheting up of the civil war.

More here.