[xJones]

If it scares the allies, it must scare the fire out of the Sunni Iraqis.

[risk]

Now we get to find out what happens when Saddam's secular government isn't in force.

I think this will be the first real test of our experiment in Iraq. Separation of church and state will have to be enforced or else we are begging for trouble now, and in the future.

[billorites]

Lovely people.

[The Vast Right Wing]

Perhaps some of these guys need to take a vacation.

[Born to Conserve]

Oh, for a second I thought someone said that there was a sars outbreak at these pilgrimages. It would sure spread like wildfire.

[anniegetyourgun]

"They have also told American and British forces that they will not tolerate any prolonged occupation of Iraq. “In the begining, our opposition to foreign occupation will be expressed by peaceful means,” Sheikh Qaazem al- Nasari, a leading Shia, said. “If, after a certain point, non- violence produces no result, we will then have to decide what to do.”

Takes brass or nuts to say such a thing in light of our overwhelming force just displayed in their backyard. Rise up against coalition forces, and they may learn the meaning of 'shock and awe' in personal terms.

[StolarStorm]

Iranian agents are likely behind much of the agitation. We better move fast to put a stop to them or this will get out of control.

[SwinneySwitch]

Ari added: “Iran certainly is not an example of democracy or a country in which people are free."

Give 'em hell, Ari!

[Russell Scott]

"The enemies of Christ will collapse like a deflated ballon." I see very rough times ahead for all Islamic fanatics.

[grania]

“There is real concern,” a senior British official said. “The Iraqi Shia are the only group to have made any real impact so far. There was a feeling that the Shia were more secular than those in Iran. Now we are not so sure.”

oops

[Goodman26]

It felt great for us to go over there and kick their a--ses and round up the the bad guys, etc. And it is constructive to show the world that we can go anywhere and crush anyone, if they go too far and really tick us off. So on the whole, to this point, the attack on Iraq was positive and well worth it.

But it was and is niave in the extreme for the Bushies to think that we could bring democracy to the country or establish some sort of model for the rest of the Middle East.

Bush should start pulling out now, before it gets worse, and say, "Hey, our job is done; we never intended to try our hand at "nation building" (in fact I campaigned against it.)

[Light Speed]

Interesting rounds being made on the talk show ciruit;

EX Director of the CIA James Woolsey was on yesterday...commenting on the Shia marches.

"Iran is active in thought projections in Iraq....this does not bode well for reconstruction".

Iraq is on the verge of tensions that rival Northern Ireland when groups collect to march.

What goes as a media play..."Hey look they are liberated...watch them march...
Is a Kodak of "Win the masses...win their minds".

Iran..exploiting

Nothing new....

[Imperialist]

Impose a constitution like in Japan. We won, we rule.

[joesnuffy]

I heard there were ten million of them in Baghdad stuffed into one phone booth making abnoxious collect calls to the NY Times

[Theresa]

“There is real concern,” a senior British official said. “The Iraqi Shia are the only group to have made any real impact so far. There was a feeling that the Shia were more secular than those in Iran. Now we are not so sure.”

I am real worried. This is not going right.

[ETERNAL WARMING]

The Shias are no angels either. Just what Iraq needs...an Islamic state like Iran has. With 60% of the population being Shia, the US has it's work cut out for it. They're the ones now calling for the US to leave now. They can hardly wait to install Shia law and cleanse Iraq of other factions.

[Filibuster_60]

None of us should have expected a liberal democracy to pop out of nowhere. The next 6 months will be crucial. If there aren't very encouraging signs by then, we should drop the pipe-dream of keeping Iraq unified and stable at the same time. No matter what, it looks less and less likely that we'll have a long-term military presence in Iraq, even if that were the original plan.

[M Kehoe]

In the 1980s Shia militants used suicide bombings against US Marines and the American Embassy in Beirut to drive the US out of Lebanon...

Well, we have four division there, and the author of this piece makes a good argument to start killing large numbers of these bastards.

Methinks the Persians and Syrians better pay attention, there's a new big dog in the yard.

5.56mm

[cynicom]

The time may arrive that we use the gun, or we walk away and leave them to their own misery. I suspect the latter.

[He Rides A White Horse]

They have also told American and British forces that they will not tolerate any prolonged occupation of Iraq.

Yeah right. Just like you refused to tolerate Saddam Hussein.