Can we call this a civil war now?

We have known for a while that the situation in Iraqi is bad but when the cops engage in a reprisal murder binge, I think it is safe to say things are completely out of control.

BAGHDAD - Shiite militants and police enraged by massive truck bombings in the northwestern town of Tal Afar went on a revenge spree against Sunni residents there Wednesday, killing as many as 60 people, officials said.

The gunmen began roaming Sunni neighborhoods in the city, shooting at residents and homes, according to police and a local Sunni politician.

Ali al-Talafari, a Sunni member of the local Turkomen Front Party, said the Iraqi army had arrested 18 policemen accused of being involved after they were identified by the Sunni families targeted. But he said the attackers included Shiite militiamen.

Here is the deal. Most of the violence against our soldiers stems from insurgents and terrorists. Think IEDs, snipers and the occasional gun battle. There are no rampaging mobs of terrorists slaughtering Americans by the dozen. The real battle in Iraq is between the Iraqis themselves. We are mere bystanders in Sunni/Shiite fight and there is not a damn thing we can do about it now. From that perspective, we should have been out yesterday. And to think, people are bitching about a timetable for withdrawal.