If they're not blowing themselves up, they must be Saddam supporters

The marvellous Iraq Prospect Organisation (IPO), a group so on the ball they believe Paul Bremer is still running Iraq - rather than John Negroponte, ahem - have provided their own insightful analysis of "growing evidence that the core of the insurgency is almost purely Ba'athist". Here's their first point, reproduced in full:

Prior to the operation in Fallujah, it was generally believed that the majority of the insurgent leadership were foreign Arab Salafi extremists. However, this is now in question. Arab Salafi extremists, like those associated with the militant Abo Musab Al-Zarqawi, explicitly seek out 'martyrdom' as their victory. On the other hand, Baathists have no interest in being killed and every interest in defeating the new Iraqi government and wearing out the US-led coalition into withdrawal. The sheer ease with which US and Iraqi forces overran Fallujah indicates that most insurgents had left the city. Such a move is not characteristic of Salafi extremists who would have relished a final battle against their perceived enemy. It is, however, characteristic of a Baathist-led insurgency that does not want to face the US at its time of choosing but would rather slip away and attack at a time of their choosing.

Convinced now? This site provides an inventory of those groups involved in the resistance - notice that Ba'athis organisations are listed under "small factions" - whilst Iraqi Democrats Against the Occupation provide some political background. The IPO are occasionally dragged out when various broadcasters over here want a friendly native to put the case for Uncle Tom with an appropriate amount of lickspittle enthusiasm. The IPO site speaks for itself: they're a joke.