Chicken Little: The Sky Is Falling! The Sky Is Falling!

Once again, excellent title. And the perch that has been taken here seems to show some people's true feathers.

According to CNN, the recent tragedies in Iraq by certain extremist elements has united Iraqis stronger than ever.

In a dramatic show of solidarity, Iraq's leaders from virtually all political factions met Saturday to discuss the formation of a national unity government.

The meeting included representatives of the Iraqi Accord Front, which had announced a boycott of national unity talks following violent reprisals against Sunnis.

The gathering, televised live on Iraqi TV, included Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, President Jalal Talabani and former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi. Also attending was U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad.

Bolstering the show of unity were Shiite and Sunni religious and political leaders who met earlier in an effort to promote peace. They included representatives of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, the Association of Muslim Scholars and the Iraqi Accord Front.

In separate phone calls, U.S. President George W. Bush pledged support to seven prominent Iraqis -- including al-Jaafari and Talabani -- for their leadership in the aftermath of the Golden Mosque bombing this week, said National Security Council spokesman Frederick Jones.

The attack Wednesday on the Al-Askariya "Golden" Mosque in Samarra, considered one of the holiest of Shiite sites, has triggered reprisals across Iraq, including the killings of Sunnis, attacks on their mosques and mass protests.

The office of Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, head of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, said Bush also called him expressing sorrow and "affirmed America's support in rebuilding the mosque."

On Friday, al-Hakim, a top Shiite political figure, joined the top Shiite cleric in Iraq, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, in urging Iraqis to remain calm and unite against extremists.

Has the liberal media been duped again?

According to someone involved in Iraq (as opposed to some chicken perched at his desk here in the good ol' USA), this is not a precursor for civil war, despite numerous media headlines stating a contrary position to this fact.

To prevent sectarian violence from spiraling into civil war, authorities imposed an extended curfew Saturday. Nonetheless, at least 25 people were killed, including nearly a dozen members of a family believed to be Shiite.

No comprehensive death toll has been given since the violence erupted Wednesday, but at least 200 deaths have been officially reported, and CNN has learned of more. There have been more than 100 attacks on Sunni mosques and institutions.

Despite the violence, U.S. Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch insisted Saturday that it has not been widespread.

"Let me be clear. There have been pockets of violence, but we don't see that as a precursor to civil war," he said at a news conference.

The tallies of casualties and attacks Lynch provided were lower than those reported by the media. But the general said insurgents often overstate such numbers to give the impression that their efforts are more effective than they really are.

What makes this news story so special? We've known for years about Iraqi resistance and insurgencies that have targetted, attacked and killed people in Iraq - even the U.N. buildings and personnel there. We've known that they've attacked mosques and even used them as storage facilities for weapons. What makes these extremist attacks any different than ones before it?

It's almost as if some people just want to let the terrorists win, ignoring common sense and the reality of a war that has been legitimately deemed necessary by the duly-elected President of the United States.

After all, look who is suspected of being behind the attack. Al-Qaeda.

"Once we get past the immediate repercussions of yesterday's violence, we will see things stabilize again," said Robert Ford, political officer at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.