Remember the Iraqi Awakening, those Sunnis who switched sides from the insurgency to reduce violence in their neighborhoods based on America promises to take care of them after order was restored? The Shiite government is now engaging in a bloody campaign against them hoping to destroy them as a force in the country. Following the arrest of one such leader in Baghdad, his group rioted for two days.
The Diyala Awakening chief threatened to go on strike if the Baghdad leader is not released, doubtless hoping that this threat will cause the Americans to intervene and uphold their promises, if only to protect their security gains. Now he has his answer - an Awakening patrol has just been bombed by the US, in yet another classic betrayal of local allies in the best imperial tradition.