I suppose it really should be no surprise that Bush didn’t pay attention to thousands of years of Middle Eastern history. After all, he doesn’t listen to half (virtually exactly half, based on the last election) the people of the United States of America — and his hearing has gotten worse over the years. In fact,

…formaliz[ed] his refusal to listen, as Dana Milbank reports in [a November 7, 2003 story in the] Washington Post. Bush told leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees that all requests to the White House should come directly from the Republican committee chairmen ? meaning he won’t ever hear requests that come from Democrats.

On the other hand, several mainstream publications are now reporting that Sunnis and Shiites, traditionally at each others throats, are banding together and helping one another towards the common goal of “killing Americans.”

According to several militia members, many Shiite fighters are streaming into Falluja to help Sunni insurgents repel a punishing assault by United States marines. Groups of young men with guns are taking buses from Shiite neighborhoods in Baghdad to the outskirts of Falluja, and then slipping past checkpoints to join the action. “It’s not easy to get in, but we have our ways,” said Ahmed Jumar, a 25-year-old professional soccer player who also belongs to a Shiite militia. “Our different battles have turned into one fight, the fight against the Americans.”

During the U.S. Presidential campaign of 2000, he promised a spirit of cooperation. And while he has shown himself incapable of actually cooperating with Democrats, he has brought his promise to fruition by getting the Sunnis and the Shiites together.

Bush promised to “unite the country.” He just didn’t say which country.