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.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Rush reporting this story ...

[tarator]

As I understand it, the two major Muslim groups are the Shi'ites and the Sunni, and the Sunni are the more "liberal" and less anti-western

Bin Laden is Sunni and so is all of Al Qaeda.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Shiites pull the plug on the Baath!

Glug glug glug...

[wimpycat]

Go, go, go, you Ladies From Hell!

[VOA]

to our UK friends and the freedom fighters of Basra, all I can say is:

GO MAN GO!!!

as Major General Colt (played by Carroll O'Connor, may he rest in peace) screamed
at reports of what he thought was a "breakthrough" in the movie "Kelly's Heroes".
(Hope some other Coalition members get a piece of this action!)

[Poohbah]

So what are the chances the Iraqi Shi'ites will help the Iranian Shi'ites rise up and toss out their evil?

Nil. Iraqi Shi'as are Arab; Iranian Shi'as are Persian; and never shall the twain meet.

However, 66% of Iran is under the age of 25. Most of the population doesn't hate America. They DO hate the government that has made their nation an international pariah.

[cardinal4]

Probably the former, since the latter hasn't done Jacques Merde for them.

That was my next question; if the Iranian government is willing to pour money down the Palestinian toilet, why not the Shias, right next door? And I stand corrected on the religious makeup of Iraq.

[ArrogantBustard]

Justice will be messy.

Street justice usually is messy. Ask the Italians. Or the Romanians. I think such street justice is necessary; a formerly oppressed population, by dealing thus with its former oppressors, shows both itself and the world at large that it finally and definitively repudiates them.

[Dog]

Brit HQ....pooh-poohing the report back in Qatar.....but the reporter is standing right next to the troops and watching the action...

[goldstategop]

The British created Iraq to create a British-owned oil company. It was most cynical reason and it turned to be the root of all of Iraq's subsequent troubles. Its been a country that has never in its modern history, had a representative system of government.

[michigander]

Iraq latest: At-a-glance

Tuesday, 25 March

1718: Popular uprising reported in Basra. British troops said to be firing into the city where Iraqi soldiers were shooting at civilian protesters.

[Travis McGee]

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

So was the communist Soviet govt, but under pressure in WW2 Stalin reopened churches and allowed prayer, icons, etc.

[Minty]

This is awesome. Thank you, Lord!

[FBD]

Right on FRiend. Iranians want freedom too.

Iranians may well overthrow their government after this conflict with Iraq is over.

[nicmarlo]

Believes that capturing Baathist kingpin this morning was important in encouraging the uprising.

I am ECSTATIC!!

[dep]

you betcha. and had turned off the water. and the little shiite children who came up to american soldiers got food and bottles of water. you do the math: the shiites see this and hit the fan, and decide that the day will brighten with the slitting of sunni throats.

dep

[Poohbah]

That was my next question; if the Iranian government is willing to pour money down the Palestinian toilet, why not the Shias, right next door? And I stand corrected on the religious makeup of Iraq.

They don't want to do anything that would tend to prop up an Arab state right next door to them. Iranians are Persian; ethnicity counts for a LOT.

[Textide]

Has been on BBC. A British Commander mentioned this in a press conference as well.

[Mr. Lucky]

It's almost as if our people in charge know what they're doing, eh? I'm certain all the media types will apologize for their remarks the last few days, once the urine down the fronts of their trousers dries.

[Dimensio]

Ah, then I either have it backwards or I'm confused :)