ContraCostaTimes.com | 04/16/2006 | By any name, it's civil war, Iraqis admit:

"Pease said he recently had a conversation with an Iraqi police officer that underscored how vexing the issue of militias has become. Out of earshot of the police officer's commander, Pease said, he asked the young street cop to give him an honest analysis of what's going on in the street.

'He said to me, 'Do you want me ... to tell you the truth?'' Pease recalled. 'His assessment was that the militias are everywhere ... and his officers weren't going to do anything about that because their units are infiltrated, and they know what the cost would be for working against the militias.'"