The Common Ills: Why is an attack being called a "riot" and was Qasem Soleimani present?

Yesterday, Shi'ite militias attacked Adhamiya, a Baghdad neighborhood which is predominately Sunni.

صور الايراني قاسم سليماني مع الزوار الشيعة لحظة دخوله م الى #الاعظمية السنيه ببغداد وحرقها اليوم الفجر وروع المدنيين

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#IRAQ شمرية العراق @moonnor27 ·

Qasem Soleimani cheered crowds burning sunnis city #Adhamiyah while on his way toKadhimiya in Baghdad yesterday #Iraq

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Qasem Soleimani is an Iranian and he is the commander of the Quds Force.

He was calling the shots during the assault on Tikrit -- during the weeks and weeks when nothing was accomplished.

To get US air strikes on the area, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had to agree to withdraw Soleimani from the province.

If Soleimani was present in Adhamiya at the time of the assault, that makes it even more frightening and troubling.

#IRAQ شمرية العراق ‏@moonnor27 4 hours ago

Interview With sunnis families #Adhamiya Baghdad After the crime Shia militias burned their homes Iraq http://youtube.com/watch?v=f4HdArFgh5c … … …

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Shi'ite militias assaulted the area.

It was not "a riot."

If citizens of Baltimore are outraged and decide to riot in Baltimore, that's a riot.

If outraged citizens of Chicago decide to attack Baltimore, that's an attack not a riot.

Outsiders came in an attacked the neighborhood, burned the Sunni Endowment.

That's not a "riot."

That's an attack.

In other news, the Defense Authorization bill might get voted on in the House Today. Deb Reichmann (AP) offers a rundown of it here. Note that points of contention in the House do not include the issue of arming Iraqi groups directly. Barack's opposed to it but he's not in the House and Democrats in the House have other concerns.

The following community sites -- plus Suan's On the Edge, Z On TV and NPR Music -- updated: