Shiites angered by newspaper's closure

The Scotsman ^ | April 5, 2004

[NCjim]

WITH the United States planning to surrender political power to Iraqis by the end of June, Washington can little afford a new front in the increasingly violent battle to pacify the country.

Closing al-Hawza, the weekly newspaper of the zealously anti-US Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, threatens to open one.

Mr Sadr had faded in recent months while the spotlight was on leading moderate Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.

In closing down Mr Sadr’s newspaper, the US has revived a fierce political opponent who is much more militant than Ayatollah Sistani.

The cleric’s supporters are well-organised and led by young, motivated clerics whose respect for their 30-year-old leader arises largely from the reverence accorded his late father, a senior cleric gunned down in 1999 by suspected agents of Saddam Hussein’s regime.

The movement’s social services and appeal as a powerful forum for Shiites in Baghdad’s poor neighbourhoods and Iraq’s southern cities have generated discipline and loyalty among supporters.

Al-Hawza was closed on 28 March for two months for allegedly inciting violence against coalition troops. Movement leaders say if the decision is not rescinded soon, they will disrupt life in Baghdad with indefinite protests. Abbas al-Robai, the paper’s editor, said: "If we don’t resist by all means now, they’ll close our offices and ban Friday prayers."

The US-led occupation authorities would be stretched thin if faced with a prolonged campaign of agitation by Mr Sadr’s supporters. The coalition counts on the goodwill of Shiites, who comprise about 60 per cent of Iraq’s 25 million people, to counterbalance a tenuous security situation stemming from a deadly insurgency by Sunni Muslims north and west of the capital.

Mr Sadr and his top aides have refrained from condoning or calling for attacks against US soldiers, although hints have been made in recent days.

With 600 US soldiers killed since the war began a year ago, Washington would rather see the firebrand Mr Sadr and his zealous supporters return to the sidelines while troops try to pacify Iraq’s Sunni heartland.

[NCjim]

Another Shiitey day, I guess.

[Support Free Republic]

Donate Here By Secure Server

[Texas Eagle]

Wow. They must've really liked to do crossword puzzles.

[nuconvert]

"If we don’t resist by all means now, they’ll close our offices and ban Friday prayers."

Spoken like a democrat.

[tessalu]

The USA is dealing with savages, who want to go to Paradise, and for this to work out, we will have to send them there, like it or not. This is war, and not paddy-cakes.

[samtheman]

There's got to be a way to play the Sunni's and Shi'ites against each other. Maybe threaten the Shi'ites that we're leaving soon, and that before we go we're going to make sure the Sunni's are back in power. That ought to calm them down a little.

[Azzurri]

Maybe we should offer them free subscriptions to the National Enquirer.

[crz]

Send in the Kurds. Seems the rest aint got the guts to stand and fight. Tell the Kurds they can have those towns that are giving us fits if they put an end to this bull.

[Texas Eagle]

I agree. I didn't coin this phrase but this is what you get when you engage in Compassionate Combat.

[sheik yerbouty]

Tough shi'ite!

[yankeedame]

The USA is dealing with savages, who want to go to Paradise, and for this to work out, we will have to send them there, like it or not. This is war, and not paddy-cakes.

True,true(nodding sagely). Playtime is over. It's time to get to work.

[bayourod]

Kill Sadr now. He encourages, plans and directs bombing attacks on US soldiers. It is inexcusable to allow him to live. He is the OBL of Iraq.

Kill him before he gets dug in to some hole from which he can still coordinate bombing attacks. His life isn't worth the life of one American soldier.

[McGavin999]

Of the approximately 15,000,000 Shiias Sadar contols perhaps 10,000-20,000. This guys isn't the serious threat that the papers are making him out to be.

[TheHound]

The cleric’s supporters are well-organised and led by young, motivated clerics whose respect for their 30-year-old leader arises largely from the reverence accorded his late father, a senior cleric gunned down in 1999 by suspected agents of Saddam Hussein’s regime.

Agreed.

[KellyAdmirer]

I fail to see how closing down a "zealously anti-US" newspaper could be a bad thing. Let them plan their terrorist attacks by smoke signals or something. The only people reading such rags already hate the US, it's not like we're going to suddenly turn US-loving Iraqis into terrorists by doing it or something.

I'm still waiting for the big crackdown after the Fallujah incident, hope I don't have to wait much longer.

[Dog Gone]

A fair newspaper headline would read "Some Shiites angered by newspaper's closure", but that's expecting too much from our liberal friends who run newspapers.

[Sola Veritas]

Abbas al-Robai, the paper’s editor, said: "If we don’t resist by all means now, they’ll close our offices and ban Friday prayers."

Hey Abbas, thanks for the suggestion. That is exactly what we (the U.S.) should do. You folks don't seem to know the difference between "prayer" and "rioting". I wonder if they mean the same thing in Arabic? Also, you are a conquered people and NOT entitled to a "free press." It is our (the U.S.) intention to give you freedom, but on OUR terms not yours. When you have become sufficiently Western, then you can be trusted with true freedom. Until that time you are just insurgents and terrorists and should be treated as such.

Whatever, notice that first it was Sunni's causing problems, now it is Shiites. Notice that the one connecting part is that they are hard core Muslims. Time for us to stop being PC and admit that this is a war between the West and Islam (I don't mean a Christian crusade).

Western culture and real Islam (which they incorrectly refer to as "radical") can not peacefully coexist. ANY anti-american rhetoric by anyone, including "clergy", should be treated as aiding and abetting terrorism. In fact the perpetrators should be treated as terrorists.

Until we go the "extra step" and unequivocally link Mideastern terror to Islam, we will not succeed.

[Redbob]

Judging by their actions in Falujah, they're not merely terrorists - they're sub-human, something to be eradicated with no more qualms than you'd have about rooting out crabgrass!

Call in that C-130 "Puff the Magic Weedwhacker!"