Sistani poll official in 'US custody'

[CHIMO]

The man in charge of drawing up an electoral list backed by Grand Ayat Allah Ali al-Sistani, the influential Iraqi Shia Muslim leader, has been arrested by the US military, an aide said.


"American forces on Saturday arrested Muhammad Hashim al-Yahya, coordinator of the six-person committee set up by the Marjaiya (Iraq's highest Shiite authority) to supervise the drawing up of an electoral list with the backing of the ayatollah," a Sistani representative in the holy city of Najaf said.

"If he is not released, there will be serious consequences," the source said, giving no reason for Yahya's arrest in Baghdad.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/BDFEE404-FB67-4ADD-A94B-7A15DA7D0228.htm

[Kagemusha]

1. Someone has a death wish.

I don't know who the fool who ordered this is, but he is playing with fire...

[bullimiami]

2. if you think bushco has any intention of letting

any sort of independent or pro-iraqi group take control of the government you are horribly naive.

elections, if they happen, will be rigged if need be.

[Kagemusha]

5. Hey, let's be real. Sistani was rigging it anyway.

Totally legally too, but he was rigging it.

None of the potential winners are friends of mine.

[mom cat]

6. And if he can't rig them good enough, he'll create even more chaos.

Why on earth would Bush want elections in Iraq? unending war and destruction is how his buddies get rich and how he holds on to a thread of power. This latest move was meant to stir up so much "instability" thet we "can't" leave.

[lynx rufus]

3. This is insane

Was he breaking the law?

[0007]

4. Allawi

This may be the culprit who's behind the arrest of Muhammad Hashim al-Yahya

[Cooley Hurd]

7. Fishy (not the story, but the US military's answer):

The US military said it had heard reports of the arrest but was unable to give any further information.

Wasn't this the kind of language the US military used when describing Nick Berg's incarceration?:eyes:

[acmavm]

8. Another smooth move by the bush* installed Iraqi government. Not

that Sistani wasn't going to cut the legs out from under the Sunnis anyway, as well as letting al Sadr participate as a candidate. But now Sistani's guy is supposedly in the clink and they're threatening that all hell will break loose if he's not let go. How much hell is there left that hasn't already broken loose, so to speak? It's not like things are going well now. This is just one more blunder in a situation where no matter what anybody does, it's just going to get worse.

Like was predicted before Shock and Awe.

Well I'm shocked that these people act like it can get a whole lot worse, and I'm in total awe that anyone didn't see this coming.

The civil war has already started. The Americans and Allawi are trying to cut half the population out of the electoral process, they are using Peshmurga (Kurdish) troops to police the country, and the Shi'ites are cooking up a coalition that includes al Sadr and possibly Chalabi.

[aneerkoinos]

14. Lots of hell left

This is beyond stupid, no matter if it's US embassy or their puppet overreaching.

If US leaves Sistani & Marjaiyah no other way to gain power in their country than to give fatwa justifying and exhorting armed resistance against occupation, the "multinational forces" will truly learn new meaning of schock and awe. They can't even handle the Sunni individualists, if the Shia collective rises up in millions of fighters, they are lucky to get out of the country...

Negroponte or Allawi don't rule the country. Sistani and the various Shia parties that obey him does, so far Sistani has ruled by showing patience, but he won't take kindly to open challenge of his power...

[NNN0LHI]

9. This is being done to build up Sistani's standing with the ignorant Iraqis

Trying to show Sistani is not collaborating with the US and their fake election.

See. His people are being arrested too. Yea, sure. I think the Sunnis been down this road before.

Don

[bemildred]

10. Either that or a serious mis-communication in the occupation.

I must say I like your theory better, but you never can be sure with
these fuckups.

[Darranar]

11. More "democracy". n/t

[AlinPA]

12. Cheney-Rove hubris. This is going to blow up in their faces. Stupid.

[Disturbed]

13. After the bogus Iraq elections..

the U.S. Junta will remain in Iraq and will declare that they are defending the new Iraq Democracy.The U.S. Military will be in Iraq until the oil runs out.

[this_side_up]

15. How long will it take to drain the oil fields if

pumping is going all out 24/7?

[daleo]

16. Blowing up pipelines seems to be going 24/7 as well

So, draining the oil fields may take some time. I can't imagine what would actually convince Bushites to leave Iraq now.

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

17. kick

This is serious. you don't go crosswise with Sistani.

[xchrom]

18. sistani is in bed with the u.s.

this incident is no accident and will not weaken sistani's support for the u.s. -- which is mostly built on behind the scenes activities.
bushco knows that a shi'ite populated government is coming -- whatever is done now is trying to ensure a cooperative relationship with the shi'ite powers powers that be.
this might be an attempt improve sistani's image with the iraqi in the street or the rest of the arab world or to undermine al sadr -- it's hard to say until we see more of the picture.

[rocktivity]

19. And when can we expect to see some US poll officials in US custody?

:headbang:
rocknation