Posted on 04/25/2003 5:27:47 PM PDT by miltonim
Iraqi Sunnis warn of holy war if US troops stay on
BAGHDAD: Hundreds of worshippers at a leading Sunni mosque in Baghdad on Friday denounced the American occupation of Iraq and vowed to launch a holy war if the troops did not withdraw soon.
“We are running out of patience with the Americans here,” said Ammar al-Azami after prayers at the Abu Hanifa mosque, long a stronghold of loyalists to the ousted Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein. “The Americans won’t leave because they are after our oil, water and land. They also want to settle here to protect Israel,” he said. “But they’re wrong to believe they’ll succeed and that we’ll stay silent. We are waiting for a fatwa [religious decree] from our ulemas [religious scholars] to fight back,” he warned. “They don’t respect anything, not our land, not our people. They even shelled this mosque. We’re keeping quiet only because our ulemas have asked us to.” The mosque, in Baghdad’s northern Al-Azhamieh neighbourhood, was shelled by American forces on April 9 during fierce fighting with Saddam loyalists after the former Iraqi president was spotted in the area. Last week, around 10,000 marchers gathered outside the mosque to protest the American presence.
Banners on the mosque’s wall read: “Pull out tanks, don’t provoke people” and “No to Shiism, no Sunnism, yes to Islamic unity”. “The Americans came here to liberate us from Saddam, it’s fine, but now what? There is no security, no electricity and chaos has taken over,” said Ibrahim, another worshipper. “Our silence won’t last. The day our ulemas tell us to fight, the Iraqi people, Sunnis and Shiites united will rise in arms.” Another man in the crowd, referring to suicide bombers who carry out anti-Israeli attacks, shouted: “We have weapons, we will blow ourselves up like the Palestinians.” “There will be 100 Osama bin Ladens here if the Americans don’t pull out,” threatened another angry man, in reference to the Saudi billionaire who heads the Al Qaeda terror network.
The men also said a government of Iraqi exiles imposed by the United States was unacceptable. “Who are these people from outside? A five-star opposition made in the USA,” charge Saber al-Alami. “We have capable people inside Iraq; they will make themselves known when the time is ripe,” he said, declining, however, to name anybody in Iraq’s indigenous opposition. We must unite beyond our religious differences, we must form a government from inside,” said Ala Hussein. —AFP
Perhaps we should pull back just long enough to allow the Shiite majority to slaughter them all. Idiots.
After the cataclysmic military event which just took place ... these people have the attention span of children, if not a total lack of critical thinking skills. How can they ever govern themselves, let alone be free? Amazing.
Sure ya are, pal.
Is it me, or are Arab muslims just about the most annoying, useless bunch of sucks the world has managed to produce? I never would have thought that an entire culture would arise and make teenagers sound reasonable and even-tempered.
Well you can go back to Saddam's torture chambers then you stupid moron. What the hell is the matter with these people? Instead of complaining and demonstrating they need to go clean out those schools, hosptials and businesses that they looted and trashed. I have no patience with these ingrates.
Great idea! May I suggest you do it simultaneously.
This is a great post, and I agree completely. Round up all the WMD's, documents and other evidence and screw. These emotionally backwards vultures will pick each other clean like cannibals anyway. They will never unite and get along for more than a day or two. And they are just too damn stupid to understand that having the Americans there till a government is established is good for them. Take what we need, pack up and leave.
I Believe, (Sadly), that we will have to re-Introduce the incredibly ignorant "Arab Street" to the Realities of the 21St Century!
Until "The Old Man in a Cocked Hat" appears over Mecca & Medina, "The West" will be Forced to "Deal With" Ignorant, Primitive, Arrogant Islamic Fools who CANNOT understand that we are NO LONGER in the 12th Century!!
Self-Flagellation is certainly an apparently sincere expression of one's Religious Devotion,--but it is NOT a rational basis for governing an entire Nation!!
Iran is a Classical Example of the UTTER FAILURE of a "Theocracy!!"--Just Ask the "Citizens!!"(IF the "Religious Police" could Catch You!!)
WE have given the Iraqis a REAL CHANCE to be a TRULY FREE PEOPLE; if they are as intelligent & resourceful as we Hoped, they will repudiate the "Mullahs," & construct a free & open & prosperous Society!
If they let the Psychopathic "Mullahs" Dominate their Civilization, the Talents & Industry of Their potential Civilization will Die--as will their potential Gifts to Humankind!
Doc
Not a bad idea!
Idiots.
Tia
Also by the time it is all over the Kurds and Shi'ia will be the only armed groups in Iraq.
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