Posted on 02/26/2006 8:15:01 AM PST by bnelson44
Baghdad, Feb. 26, (BNA) Iraqi Shiite Leader, Muktada Al Sadr, called on Sunni and Shiite Moslems to perform prayers together at the mosques that were recently attacked in Baghdad.
Al Sadr said there was no difference between Shiite and Sunni mosques as they are all Moslems' prayer houses which symbolize brotherhood, solidarity and unity among Iraqis. In a speech before crowds of citizens, today, following his return to Basra after a tour in a number of countries, Al Sadr called for organizing a united demonstration in Baghdad, by Moslems and non- Moslems to demand from occupation forces to leave Iraq and to condemn bloody attacks launched by those accusing others of infidelity.
Al Sadr also asked the occupation forces to leave Iraq even through a defined schedule, adding that Iraqis were relieved of Saddam's dictatorship only to suffer another one, carried out by the Americans and the British. He noted that people see that security in Iraq will not be achieved by merely dismissing the US Ambassador but through total pullout of US forces from the country.
(Excerpt) Read more at english.bna.bh ...
There will be another Iran-Iraq war.
Only question is . . . will Iran have the bomb by the time it starts.
if we end up in a few years without permanent air bases/air power projection capability in iraq it will be a political failure beyond words.
You know what comes to my mind when witnessing this whole spectacle? The Sopranos.
It's a shakedown. Mafia-style. One faction makes a show of force, the "big men" come in and "make peace". All of them ultimately working for the same people. Whatever power guys like Sadr have is based on a phony protection racket.
Some Dictatorship.
I we had a dictatorship in Iraq Al Sadr would have been suffered a grizzly death over a year a year ago.
Why should he stage a coup? He is a kingmaker with the "freedom-loving, democratic" Shi'ite majority who rule Iraq. Isn't this what we fought for?
Sounds like Moe is back at it, inciting the people.
I am beginning to believe that their culture has no desire or the will to complete the opportunity we have given them.
He is one of the "dictators" err....democratic rulers of the Iraqi ruling party. That is the point you forget.
Spot On!
It's damn hard to find many who will admit it, but Iraq is the Germany of this century, as far as American projection of power is concerned.
It's strategic location in relation to Iran, Russia, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Turkey,etc.... and to protect Israel, is without question.
This may actually be helpful. The pressing concern is to minimize the violence and co-opt the Sunni leadership into the govt.
Al-Sadr is terrorist scum, but he's not on the same page as Al-Qaeda, who started this thing (Zarqawi wrote to Zawahiri of exactly this kind of plan for instigating civil war). If he helps stabilize the situation, an Iraqi unity government isn't going to demand we leave, and won't be controlled by the likes of Mookie.
Unless I am mistaken, although he has influence, he is not part of the government.
"if we end up in a few years without permanent air bases/air power projection capability in iraq it will be a political failure beyond words."
I'm afraid this is becoming a very strong likelihood. It wouldn't have to be this way if we were brutally honest about the situation. We could start setting up air bases now in the Kurdish part of Iraq, then back their declaration of an independent Iraqi Kurdistan later, after we withdrew from the rest of Iraq and it came (probably) under the control of Iran.
Our army could make their independence stick without a single casualty because there are no IED's and no car bombings in the Kurdish sector of Iraq (because, unlike the Shi'ites) the Kurds do not trust Iran, a Russian ally who is secretly on the same side as the Sunni terrorists, also under Russian control.
However, this would mean admitting partial defeat. Rather, Bush will bravely "hold his ground" and "stay the course" on the path toward a unified Iraq. Hillary will probably be elected the next president as a direct result of a Tet-style offensive in October 2008 and not only withdraw our troops, but withdraw all military aid from the Iraqi government, simply dropping them into the lap of the Iranians.
Then she will give one of her quasi-feminine expressions and say, like a young wife who just burned the roast, "Oops. didn't mean to do that."
That's not reported in this story.
It's from here:
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr returned to Iraq on Sunday, cutting short a regional tour following the bombing of a holy Shiite shrine that triggered a deadly wave of sectarian violence, aides said.
Al-Sadr arrived in the southern Iraqi province of Basra from neighboring Iran, said Amer al-Husseini at al-Sadr's Baghdad office. He was expected in the holy Shiite city of Najaf, his hometown, later in the day, al-Husseini said.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1107AP_Iraq_Shiite_Cleric.html
Dude, how many times do I have to say it. The Sunnis would fight forever against the Shia for the oil and even Iraqis defense minister admitted yesterday it wouldn't be a quick war it would be a massively long war with well over a million dead.
It would destabilize nearby countries like Jordan and give al-Qaeda a great base from Western Iraq to Jordan.
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