Iraq's civil war nightmare

BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Iraq's civil war nightmare: "For the families of the people who have died since the invasion in 2003, or the thousands more who have been maimed, or those who have been kidnapped, it probably does not matter much what sort of war is going on in Iraq.

Long before the golden dome of the mosque in Samarra was destroyed there were serious incidents, involving big loss of life, between Iraq's different communities.

All sides have suffered, but the Shia have lost thousands of people in hundreds of sectarian attacks.

The only good thing is that responsible leaders have recognised the danger, and have not allowed their country to slide into the sort of nightmare Lebanon went through in the 15 years after 1975. "