Posted on 08/29/2003 9:09:08 AM PDT by kattracks
WASHINGTON, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Iraqi politician Ahmad Chalabi blamed former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and other Baathists for the explosion which killed the top Iraqi Shi'ite politician and dozens of others in the city of Najaf on Friday.
Chalabi, a Shi'ite who heads the Iraqi National Council, said: "There's no doubt in my mind. It's Saddam, remnants of the Baathists and their new allies from across the border, the fundamentalists coming across to participate in these things."
Saddam's Baath party was the main vehicle for his dictatorial rule.
The explosion in Najaf killed Ayatollah Mohammed Baqer al-Hakim, leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI). SCIRI is the largest single political group in the Shi'ite community.
Najaf hospital sources said at least 75 others died.
Chalabi, speaking in a telephone interview from Baghdad, said he had been with al-Hakim and his brother in Najaf on Wednesday and one of them told him the Shi'ites were worried about the possibility of an explosion near the shrine of Ali, one of the most holy sites for Shi'ite Muslims.
He said Friday's incident showed the need for the United States to give the Iraqi Governing Council, of which he is a member, a greater role in maintaining security in the country.
"The Americans have complete control over security and military force and we have a lot of information. We need to work better to marry the two -- the information and the ability to act," he said.
"Iraqis should have a much bigger role in maintaining security in the country. I propose the creation of an Iraqi security force, a serious one, but also we need to empower the Governing Council quickly," he added.
An aide to Chalabi said the explosion on Friday strongly resembled the explosion at the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad this month and was probably the work of the same people.
He noted that both of them used massive quantities of explosives to target a prominent person whom the bombers expected to be in the area at the time.
Chalabi dismissed speculation that the assassination of al-Hakim could be part of a dispute between Shi'ite groups.
"Anyone who understands anything about Shi'a would never say that, because this is the most important shrone in all Shi'ism," he said.
"There is outrage (in the Shi'a community), more determination to fight Saddam and expunge the Baath. They have no doubt who's doing it," he added.
A State Department official said the United States deplored the bombing and was in touch with the Governing Council on it.
08/29/03 11:49 ET
But also consider that Godless Saddamites have declared war on Islam. The cleric killed had fled Saddam and Iraq to be sheltered in Iran in about 1980. He promptly returned as soon as we beat Saddam. Five of his literal brothers were previously murdered by Saddam. He was a major figure and, despite the stayover in Iran, reportedly pro-American. He was the cleric of the holiest Islamic shrine (where one of Muhammed's own sons, Ali, is buried) in Iraq and was murdered with many of his congregants DURING the Islamic Sabbath service which he was leading.
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.