Provoking Sunni Militancy in Iraq

Deadly clashes that broke out early April 23 between Sunni demonstrators and security forces in northern Iraq illustrate the challenges facing Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as his Shia-dominated government tries to manage Sunni dissent through a combination of force and appeasement. The clashes appear to have been orchestrated by Sunni militant groups, which have been trying to remilitarize the Sunni political and tribal landscape in Iraq. Baghdad's struggle to contain the gradual rise of Sunni militancy will only get more difficult with time.