# Iraq War, a civil war?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-war-a-civil-war/315534>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [August 4, 2005, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-war-a-civil-war/315534 "2005-08-04T06:12:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![uglybeech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/82dd89/32.png) [@uglybeech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uglybeech)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2005, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-war-a-civil-war/315534/1 "2005-08-04T06:12:14Z")

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It looks to me like Sunnis (assisted by foreign jihadis) fighting Shi’a, Kurds, Americans and “the coalition” (British). How is this not a Civil War and how will we know when it becomes a Civil War?

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**Author:** ![MAGunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@MAGunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MAGunter)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2005, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iraq-war-a-civil-war/315534/2 "2005-08-04T06:32:24Z")

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Well, I’m pretty sure it does fit the definition of Civil War and always has.