Uprising By Shiites in Basra Underway; British Pouring Artillery into City

Sky News Live Feed ^ | 03/25/03 | TonyInOhio

[TonyInOhio]

Just monitored on Sky News: embedded reporter says Shiites in Basra have begun, in his words, a "popular uprising" against the Saddam forces still in the city. British Army units are "pouring" artillery into the city (likely isolated areas) preparing to move in.

[veronica]

BTTT.

[areafiftyone]

I don't know But I am spiking Right now! I am practically jumping up and down in my cubie!! Finally the Iraqis are realizing that we mean it this time!! I guess they are feeling that little thing called Freedom creep up on them!

[spokeshave]

just in time to power up the convoys heading north..

[dfwgator]

My understanding is that the Ba'athist movement at least when it started was in fact...atheist.

[mabelkitty]

That is just so arrogant and racist (not you, but the tone of our media).

All these journalists and newsies want the Iraqi people to kiss our ass because we spent a couple of weeks in the desert.

It's so disgusting, and I can't believe nobody has mentioned this.

[Alberta's Child]

Even as committed Muslims, I think 90% of them would be far more "American" and patriotic than the cockroaches who protest while our men and women are in harm's way.

I hate to pee in anyone's corn flakes, but the Shiite Muslims are the more "fundamentalist" branch of Islam in the Middle East. What may sound like good news today will likely not be so good six months from now.

[Polybius]

I hope this puts an end to the cries of "MOAB all Iraqis" every time a Saddamist thug inflicts any damage on Allied forces.

[rs79bm]

bttt.

[Doohickey]

Saddam is Sunni. What does that tell you?

[John H K]

Actually, IIRC...Ba'athism was founded by an Alawite Muslim.

Nope, it was an Arab Christian, Michael Aflaq.

It's fundamentals are essentially a rabid Nazi-like Arab Nationalism, and at its root is basically atheist like Nazism, but in the last 10 years Saddam has ham-handedly tried to overlay Ba'athism with Islam in an attempt to curry favor with the rest of the Arab world.

[TonyInOhio]

More: artillery is directed against specific targets, mostly line-of-sight, and is not being fired into city center

[muggs]

Hallelujah!

[Poohbah]

True.

But I always was under the impression that, culturally, Michel Aoun was Alawite.

[areafiftyone]

So do I. Definitely going to go to England next year and maybe make a side trip to Scotland!

[gulfcoast6]

Betcha some of the Iraqettes in that town are helping with this along with the males.

[rocky88]

CNN IS NOT EVEN REPORTING THIS!!!!

I had to switch from Fox to see them cry.. but I guess they just choose to ignore. Denial, denial...

[Enterprise]

They killed 20 Ba'ath party officials, Special Security Organisation members and Fedayeen fighters, Saddam's personal militia.... "We made it quite clear to them that we, the British Armed Forces are up for this and you are going to have a very hard time."

OUTFARKINGSTANDING! Grinning from ear to ear!

[Lady Heron]

Grow up! The religion is a problem whether shiite or sunni. They will be our friends for as long as it helps them only. Once they have what they want they will return to hating us kafir.