Circling, circling....glub glub glub
I no longer have power to save Iraq from civil war- Sistani
Send the boys and girls to Kurdistan, and let them just be three countries, it's best for everyone - including US The most influential moderate Shia leader in Iraq has abandoned attempts to restrain his followers, admitting that there is nothing he can do to prevent the country sliding towards civil war.Aides say Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani is angry and disappointed that Shias are ignoring his calls for calm and are switching their allegiance in their thousands to more militant groups which promise protection from Sunni violence and revenge for attacks.
"I will not be a political leader any more," he told aides. "I am only happy to receive questions about religious matters."
It is a devastating blow to the remaining hopes for a peaceful solution in Iraq and spells trouble for British forces, who are based in and around the Shia stronghold of Basra.
The cleric is regarded as the most important Shia religious leader in Iraq and has been a moderating influence since the invasion of 2003. He ended the fighting in Najaf between Muqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi army and American forces in 2004 and was instrumental in persuading the Shia factions to fight the 2005 elections under the single banner of the United Alliance.
However, the extent to which he has become marginalised was demonstrated last week when fighting broke out in Diwaniya between Iraqi soldiers and al-Sadr's Mehdi army. With dozens dead, al-Sistani's appeals for calm were ignored. Instead, the provincial governor had to travel to Najaf to see al-Sadr, who ended the fighting with one telephone call.
Continue reading "Circling, circling....glub glub glub" »
- Americans Trust Mccain On Taxes And Economy Over Obama
From Gateway Pundit: Messiah Better Walk On Water Cuz His Ship Is Sinking Glub-Glub-Glub... That's the sound of a sinking ship built from tens of thousands of illegal donations. Thanks to Joe the Plumber John McCain is now trusted by more Americans...
- Mahdi Army Surrenders - Authorizes Iraqi Government To Disarm Fighters
From the Stratas-Sphere: It seems the Mahdi Army in Sadr City has surrendered - completely: Followers of rebel cleric Muqtada al Sadr agreed late Friday to allow Iraqi security forces to enter all of Baghdad’s Sadr City and to arrest anyone found with...
- Iraqi Army Continues Their Fight & Sadr Threatens War
Artillery fire and bomb blasts shook a militia-held district in the southern city of Basra today as U.S. and British forces backed up Iraqi troops launching a new offensive in the area. "JAM tried to prevent them from entering, but fierce air strikes...
- Iran Confirms It Brokered Truce Between Iraq And Sadr
What was that Newt Gingrich said, in the video below, about us being in a "phoney war"? From Pat Dollard: TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Officials in Iran confirmed for the first time Saturday that the country played an important role in brokering a recent truce...
- It's Gettyburg - Maliki Needs To Crush Utterly The Mahdi Army Now
Now that Al Qaeda in Iraq has been obliterated, it is essential for the growth and security of Iraq, and for it's national identity against Iran, that the Mahdi army be destroyed. War is politics by other means, and the results of the...