[tet68]

Now is the time for this, any earlier would have meant his death.

[Southack]

Wow!

[omega4179]

Hey Sistani No Fatwa against American blood? Thanks a lot, heathen.

[AmericaUnited]

This Sistani guy is one righteous dude. I remember early in the war someone gave him a copy of the US Constitution and he was really wowed by it.

[unspun]

"I am a servant of all Iraqis, there is no difference between a Sunni, a Shitte or a Kurd or a Christian," Al-Mulla quoted Sistani as saying during the meeting.

Chances are, when a Muslilm leaves "Jew" off the list, it's telling -- and he might as well leave "Christian" off, too, if he were honest.

[icwhatudo]

Sounds like more good news, hopefully a start for reconciliation.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Bush’s fault.

[InterceptPoint]

My view on on all of this is that the Iraqis, both the secular and the hardcore Shiite and Sunni Islamics can see a Pelosi-Clinton-Reid future and they don't like what they see. So the time to figure things out and make the deals is now, while Bush is around to make sure both sides play fair. Come January 2009 the opportunity to do so may be gone, perhaps forever.

And, of course, perhaps not - there being no sure thing in politics. But it looks like this is not a chance that the powers in Iraq want to take. Smart thinking on their part.

[infidel29]

Dems to DU list:

• cry about WMD crap
• can't find Saddam crap
• US casualties crap
• can't organize elections crap
• no military progress crap
• no infrastructure in Iraqi cities crap
• Americans "war weary" crap
• surge not working crap
• civil war crap
• Iraqis want us out crap
• no political reconciliation?

[jveritas]

That is really a very powerful and good fatwa from Sistani. It will have a lot of positive effects.

[Fred Nerks]

"I am a servant of all Iraqis, there is no difference between a Sunni, a Shitte or a Kurd or a Christian," Al-Mulla quoted Sistani as saying during the meeting. Sistani warned the Sunni clerics from the plans of the enemies to plant seeds of discord among the Iraqis...

nothing succeeds like success...it just gets better and better...of course this little gem will be all over the News tonight? sarc.

[enough_idiocy]

I wish the civil wars in Africa were like this “civil war”

[Marine_Uncle]

Deals have gone down. No other way of looking at it. Sistani knows exactly what can be acceptable to the Iraqi people at large regardless of what ethnic/religious persuasion they may be.
We have not heard anything from Sistani for a long time. This should be viewed as a important announcement IMHO. And I do mean humble opinion. So often some of us can come off like we are close to what is really gone on, and then be taken back by some near term future development.
If the Grand Ayatollah Sistani makes such a pronouncement (fatwa), you can bet your next cold beer, it is a sign of real gains in private negotiations etc., government wise as well as sectarian wise, the blood shed shall stop, between Iraqi that are not intimately involved in the insurgency.
If it takes the US and Coalition forces to stay in their land for a few years, then later on, in agreement with their leadership to establish remote basis, and in the meantime a majority start seeing improvements in their daily lives, monetarily as well as security wise, why would they want to actively join up with useless criminal groups and radical Islamic groups that have no future on earth, to somehow evict those that have handed them bread, butter, clean water, electricity for longer times each day, better medical facilities, etc..
I'll bet you a dime, many a senior and not so senior officer as well as many of the duly inducted Iraqi military as well as many others where glad Saddam got kicked out, regardless of their religious affiliations.
The US lead Coalition forces have proven time in again they are not in Iraq to make the population miserable but to free them from all sorts of miseries.
The Iraqi people know what has gone down. Stupid fat dopes like Sadr will be neutralized as the Shiite see how their positions have improved due to this invasion.
These people are not total dopes.
I would venture in the reality of things, they are far smarter then some of the democrats I have to deal with on a daily basis. People who have not a clue as to what has happened in Iraq over the past few years other then the standard horse *hit they get from their boob tubes and liberal bias newspapers.
That being said. Have a great upcoming day. I have to hit the rack. Work comes early.

[Wiz]

It took me thirty seconds to guess what the real meaning of this fatwa could be.

[RinaseaofDs]

This is as big an event as the war starting in the first place. I believe this is unprecedented, actually. Has anyone in his position ever uttered such a directive?

It will get ZERO coverage in the MSM.

[Irish Eyes]

This is one brave man.. may he live a long life.