Maliki declares war on the Sunnis

If you're a Sunni in Iraq, how does this sound?

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki insisted sectarian killing had come to an end in his country, blaming ongoing daily violence on Al-Qaeda in a television interview Monday.

"I would say that the sectarian killing is over," Maliki said, in comments to be broadcast Monday on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the United States-led and British-backed invasion of Iraq.....

"We have accurate intelligence information that Al-Qaeda and the remains of the former regime are being scattered and chased and losing the secure conditions under which they used to operate....

And he added: "Everyone agrees on this. It is not a threat towards only one part of the population.

In effect, Maliki is clearly declaring that the "sectarian killing" (Shia death squads) are over and will no longer be a focus of the government. All state violence will now be openly focused on the Sunnis.

(I should probably also mention the "breathing space" talking point reiterated yesterday by Sec Def Gates.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the US military's role in Iraq is to buy time for a political reconciliation among Iraqis.

From Maliki's statement, does it sound like political reconciliation is on the horizon?

Does it sound like US soldiers are dying for an achievable goal?)