Over the last few years Iraq has been torn apart by war. After overthrowing Saddam Hussain Iraq has become a hotbed of extremist (Insurgent) activity. Not a day goes by that another suicide bomb, kidnap or murder takes place by insurgents, killing innocent Iraqi people, coalition and Iraqi forces.

It seems that no matter how many insurgents are arrested, killed or commit suicide bombings there is always another extremist ready to step into their shoes. Through the media we have been shown that children as young as nine have joined the insurgents, acting as lookouts and armed with pistols or Russian Kalashnikov.

It is believed that there is currently about 15,000 active insurgents in Iraq all from different countries and cultures.

From a recent documentary I learned that the reason the insurgents seem to have a strong following is due to innocent deaths caused at the hand of coalition forces. One of the extremists interviewed joined an insurgent faction because an American missile killed his brother and father.

There are many factions operating in Iraq, some of these are cells belonging to Al Qaeda (Osama Bin Ladans group) or Al Zaqawi but some are also from standalone groups that have their own agendas. Although some groups are more careful when choosing a target, all seem to have one thing in common, the wish to remove coalition forces from Iraq and to stop democracy (this is viewed as American and Jewish by insurgents) but the real outcome seems to be devastation to the innocent Iraqi people.

Iraq has become such an unstable region that if the coalition was to pull out now the insurgents would gain power. The Iraqi forces currently have power over about 30% of Iraq and until a stronger hold is gained the insurgents activity will carry on and the coalition will still be in Iraq.

Only time will tell what will happen to the innocent Iraqi people caught in the middle of this urban war.