The US decides to pressure SCIRI

Wow. Looking at this post and the next, it seems clear that since the Shia rejected the Hadley plan for a new "moderate" cross sectarian governing coalition, the US and British have decided, for now, to go after the SCIRI Shia.

The American military is holding at least four Iranians in Iraq, including men the Bush administration called senior military officials, who were seized in a pair of raids late last week aimed at people suspected of conducting attacks on Iraqi security forces, according to senior Iraqi and American officials in Baghdad and Washington. ....

The predawn raid on Mr. Hakim’s compound, on the east side of the Tigris, was perhaps the most startling part of the American operation. The arrests were made inside the house of Hadi al-Ameri, the chairman of the Iraqi Parliament’s security committee and leader of the Badr Organization, the armed wing of Mr. Hakim’s political party.

I don't know if this is a continuing effort, or just a series of "example" raids to show SCIRI leader Al Hakim that the US can hurt him if he doesn't play ball.

And, make sure to take a quick read of Bolani's comments.

IRAQ'S interior minister has accused an unnamed regional power of being behind a recent spate of mass kidnappings in Baghdad and has promised to reveal more details in the coming days.

Bolani, a Shia, is probably talking about the mass kidnapping of Shia. Considering this was said after some of the raids mentioned above, I would guess that he may well name Syria to counter the Iranian arrests.

The regional war is coming out of the closet.