Iraqi "insurgents" are exactly analogous to the Ku Klux Klan during reconstruction!

Just about every character named in the text below has a mirror image in the Iraqi "insurgency."

" Vigilante groups, disgruntled poor white farmers, wartime guerrilla bands, displaced Democratic politicians, illegal whiskey distillers, coercive moral reformers, bored young men, sadists, rapists, white workmen fearful of black competition, employers trying to enforce labor discipline, common thieves, neighbors with decades-old grudges, and even a few freedmen and white Republicans who allied with Democratic whites or had criminal agendas of their own. Indeed, all they had in common, besides being overwhelmingly white, southern, and Democratic, was that they called themselves, or were called, Klansmen."

Below we can substitute contractors for "carpetbaggers" and Shia and Kurds for "scalawags."

"The Klan's first incarnation was in 1866. Founded by veterans of the Confederate Army, its main purpose was to resist Reconstruction, and it focused as much on intimidating "carpetbaggers" and "scalawags" as on putting down the freed slaves. It quickly adopted violent methods. A rapid reaction set in, with the Klan's leadership disowning violence, and Southern elites seeing the Klan as an excuse for federal troops to continue their activities in the South."

Lynching, assassination, intimidation of teachers and voters, the bombing of Churches, anti-semitism. The need for federal troops to remain in the South. Now we have the Iraqi Sunnis Bombing mosques, assassinating doctors, barbers, judges. Their activities make it likely the US will remain in Iraq longer.

In many ways the Klan was a military force serving the interests of the Democratic party, the planter class, and those who desired the restoration of white supremacy.[13]

Let's substitute "Sunni" for "Klan" and see how it looks,

"In many ways the Sunni's are a military force serving the interests of the Baathist party, the elite class, and those who desire the restoration of Sunni supremacy."

The Klan sought to control the political and social status of the freed slaves. Specifically, it attempted to curb black education, economic advancement, voting rights, and the right to bear arms. However, although the Klan's focus was mainly African Americans, Southern Republicans also became the target of vicious intimidation

Lets play the substitution game again,

The Sunni seek to control the political and social status of freed Shia, Kurds and Marsh Arabs. Specifically it seeks to curb Shia education, economic advancement, fair distribution of resources, voting rights and the right to bear arms. Although the Sunni's focus is mainly the Shia, any Sunni seeming to collaberate with the newly elected government will also become the target of vicious intimidation.