What Sectarian Violence?

In Saudi Arabia, the home of Wahhabi Islam, Shias are known as rafida, which means “rejectionists.” A highly pejorative term, it implies that Shias are outside Islam, and to Shias it is the equivalent of being called “nigger.” This is the same word Sunni radicals in Iraq and the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab al Zarqawi, use to describe Shias. Saudi Arabia’s two million Shias have been persecuted, prevented from celebrating their festivals, and occasionally threatened with extermination. Saudi Arabia is also the main exporter of foreign fighters to the Iraqi jihad to fight both the Americans and the Shia “rafida” collaborators.

But, to hear Bush speak, it is Iran that is the main exporter of foreign fighters to the Iraqi jihad. So, which is it? Huh? Well?

Hat tip to Juan Cole. The above quote is from Nir Rosen. Read more of his rather lengthy piece entitled "On the Ground in Iraq - The roots of sectarian violence."