Here is an article from 2006. It talks about the fact that what was happening at that time in Iraq was a civil war. And it defines what 'civil war' means:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/11/26/news/civil.php

From the article:

"The common scholarly definition has two main criteria. The first says that the warring groups must be from the same country and fighting for control of the political center, control over a separatist state or to force a major change in policy. The second says that at least 1,000 people must have been killed, with at least 100 from each side."

This tells us when we know a civil war is underway. But how do we know when it ends, unless there are regular armies in the field, who meet somewhere (such as in a parlor at Appomattox) and sign a surrender document?

Presumably, the civil war is over when violence on the scale described above is over.

Kagan should have gone to Juan Cole's blog, "Informed Comment", and read about Sunday's violence. Below is just one day's violence in Iraq - the day before Kagan's amazing comment - as reported by McClatchy. I doubt this is anything but the tip of the iceberg, but consider the conclusion we must draw even if this account is complete:

[from McClatchy via JuanCole.com)

Baghdad

- Around 6 a.m. four mortars hit the Green Zone, Iraqi police said.

- Around 8 a.m. A roadside bomb targeted Iraqi police patrol near the Shaab stadium, injuring three policemen.

- Around 11 a.m. Iraqi police said 6 rockets targeted the Green Zone, two of them hit the Green Zone and four others hit different areas of Baghdad. One hit a residential building in Kamaliyah killing five civilians and injuring 8, one hit cars parking yard near the Qadiri shrine in central Baghdad injuring 5 civilians. The other two hit different areas in Karrada causing no casualties.

- Around noon gunmen in three civilian cars opened their machineguns fire towards civilians near a cooking gas factory in Zafaraniyah, killing 7 civilians and injuring 16 others.

- Around 3 p.m. a suicide bomber driving a car bomb targeted civilians near a gas station in Shoala neighborhood, killing 5 civilians and injuring 7.

- Around noon a roadside bomb targeted civilians on Uqba bin Nafia square, injuring two civilians.

- Around 5 p.m. two rockets or mortar shells hit the Green Zone, a third missed its target and hit in Sadoun street, injuring one civilian, Iraqi police said.

- Around 8 p.m. a mortar shell hit residential buildings (called the Palestinians' buildings) injuring four civilians.

- At 8:26 p.m. several mortar shells or rockets targeted the Green Zone fell short and hit different areas 3 in Karrada and 1 in Arasat killing 2 and injuring 7 civilians. Another hit a house in Sadoun Street, killing 5 civilians from one family.

- Police found 6 dead bodies throughout Baghdad . . .

Nineveh

- Around 7 a.m. a suicide bomber drove his truck bomb into an Iraqi army headquarter in the industrial area west Mosul, killing 13 soldiers and injuring 30 soldiers and 12 civilians.

- A suicide bomber driving a car bomb targeted an Iraqi army convoy in Al Nour neighborhood in Mosul, killing one officer and injuring 3 soldiers and 7 civilians.

- A roadside bomb targeted an Iraqi army vehicle in Al Hadbaa neighborhood in Mosul, injuring 7 civilians.

- Iraqi police found one dead body in Mosul.

Diyala

- Iraqi police said U.S. troops killed 14 men and injured five people including a woman then used aerial fire to hit four homes in Al Dahalga village (about 28 miles east of Baquba). The U.S. military said they killed 12 men that were a part of a suicide bombing network. . .

- Gunmen killed citizen Ali Hassan in front of his house in central Baquba, Hassan was returning home yesterday after he was displaced.

- Gunmen killed Brigadier General Akram Awad Radhi and his driver as he was heading back to Baquba from Abu Saida area (about 12 miles east of Baquba).

- Gunmen attacked policemen in central Baquba killing a police lieutenant and injuring two other policemen.

- A mortar shell slammed into Al Gatoun area west Baquba, killing two civilians and injuring one.

- A mortar shell slammed into Kanaan town (about 9 miles east of Baquba) injured an infant girl and a woman.

Kirkuk

- Gunmen using two cars attacked an Iraqi army fixed check point to monitor a main road south of Kirkuk (about 16 miles) killing four Iraqi army soldiers and burning their Humvee.

Salahuddin

- A suicide bomber driving a car bomb targeted the house of Al Muatasim town (about 12 miles south of Samarra) mayor yesterday, killing 3 policemen and injuring two civilians. '

The idea that "the" civil war is over is absurd. The most urgent question is this: exactly HOW MANY civil wars are raging in Iraq? Does anyone know?

Shall we ask Fred Kagan to give us a hand figuring that one out?

Good grief. The situation in Iraq - let alone in one geographic area of Iraq - is so amazingly complex that people like McWarmonger can get away with whining about how the Democrats want to surrender in Iraq.

What a total crock.

We are occupying a country we invaded illegally. Look at what we have wrought. And for what? To strengthen Iran? To feed the ambitions of Sadr? To allow thugs to siphon oil money from ordinary Iraqis? To enrich Republican-friendly contractors?

Frankly, the situation seems hopeless.