From Juan Cole on Ramadi

I don't know exactly why, but I found this interesting from Juan Cole.

Al-Zaman reports that heavy street fighting broke out on Friday in downtown Ramadi between US forces and guerrillas. According to the al-Zaman correspondent in the city, the fighting was heaviest at 20th and at 17 Tammuz streets and the al-Kas district. Medium strength weaponry (i.e. more than just light arms) were used. The US deployed gunship helicopters. US Marines occupied several tall buildings. ....

Al-Zaman adds, "According to our correspondent, the prayer for the dead was read in most of the mosques after the Friday congregational prayers, in Hit, Qaim, and Ramadi, on the occasion of Zarqawi's death. Marine patrols with Lebanese translators were seen near the major mosques in more than one place in Anbar province, to monitor the preachers.

(The original source is in Arabic, but I trust Cole's interpretation.)

Also, further down in the same post, Prof. Cole points out that the new Sunni Defense Minister Al Ubaidi, and ex-Saddam Baathist, was confirmed primarily on Shia votes. The religious Sunni parties gave him no support at all, and it is those groups who are mostly tied to the resistance. So, the "Sunni" Defense Minister comes to power with primarily Shia/UIA backing. Just interesting in the factional dynamics of Iraq.