Posted on 06/08/2005 5:35:01 PM PDT by Alex Marko
BAGHDAD In a move certain to inflame sectarian tensions, Iraq's Shiite and Kurdish leaders said Wednesday that they supported the existence of an Iranian-trained Shiite militia and praised the militia's role in trying to secure the country.
It was the first time the new Iraqi government has publicly backed an armed group that was created along sectarian lines and it was an implicit denial of repeated requests by U.S. officials that the government disband all militias.
The remarks supporting the Shiite militia were made in the morning at an unusual news conference where speakers included Ibrahim al-Jaafari, the Iraqi prime minister and a Shiite Arab; Jalal Talabani, the Kurdish president and a militia leader himself, and Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the Shiite political party that created the Shiite militia, known as the Badr Organization.
(Excerpt) Read more at iht.com ...
Well this is an interesting development...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.