Iraqi Shiite Anger Raises New Fears for U.S. Soldiers

[kskiska]

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Oct. 10 — Shiite Muslim anger against Americans spilled into Friday Prayers in Sadr City, the poor Baghdad district where two Iraqis and two American soldiers were killed Thursday night.

The violence and subsequent public outrage raised fears of new dangers to United States troops from the followers of Moktada al-Sadr, a young anti-American Shiite cleric. Up to now, the main threat to American forces has come from loyalists to Saddam Hussein.

A seething throng of perhaps 10,000 people gathered on Friday to pay respects to the two men they believe were killed by American forces the night before.

"No, no, to America!" they chanted as wooden coffins holding the remains of the men were paraded along a main street in this impoverished neighborhood of some two million people, once called Saddam City and now renamed Sadr City in part for Mr. Sadr's father, a popular cleric who was assassinated in 1999 on what many believe were Mr. Hussein's orders.

(snip)

"America, which calls itself the supporter of democracy, is nothing but a big terrorist organization that is leading the world with its terrorism and arrogance," Mr. Daraji said.

(snip)

But tensions have been growing for several days between American troops and Mr. Sadr's followers, who represent only a fraction of Iraq's majority Shiite population. If the Shiites turned in large numbers against the American occupation, the effect could be explosive.

more…
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/11/international/middleeast/11IRAQ.html?hp

[Voltaire99]

1. Who should our soldiers fear most?

The hordes of Iraqis who hate them? Or the leaders of the major parties in the US who believe our soldiers are "stuck" in Iraq until "the job is done"?

In the debate yesterday Kucinich boldly revealed the hopelessness facing the troops: they've been lied to by Republicans, abandoned by Democrats.

It's time to bring home the troops and stop subjecting them and Iraqis to this monumental, catastrophic failure. In time, this will be widely understood; how many more must die before then? How many more sickening newscasts, such as the one I saw tonight depicting the new ranks of National Guard victims shipping off, shall dote on "how hard it is to explain to the children" - when, in fact, the hardest thing seems to be to explain this crisis to politicians?

[bluestateguy]

2. Well

We are doing what no diplomat could ever do in Iraq: bring together the Shiites and the Sunnis--against us.