The Daily Star (Beirut/Saturday): Iraq sectarian tensions escalate

[Jack Rabbit]

From The Daily Star (Beirut)
Dated Saturday Spetember 3

Iraq sectarian tensions escalate
Drive-by shootings at Sunni mosques kill one and injure four
Compiled by Daily Star Staff

One man was killed and four wounded in a drive-by shooting on two Sunni mosques as tensions escalated between Iraqi Sunni and Shiite communities in the aftermath of a deadly stampede that killed nearly 1,000 Shiite pilgrims. The drive-by shooting occurred early yesterday in Zubair, some 20 kilometers southwest of the mainly Shiite southern city of Basra, according to a spokesman for the Iraqi Islamic Party, the main Sunni group.

A week after the draft constitution was finalized, talks were still under way to refine language to try to win Sunni Arab approval and ease fears of Iraq's neighbors that the draft will loosen Iraq's ties to the Arab world, officials said.

While Iraqis continued to bury stampede victims, a march aimed at reconciling Sunni and Shiite did not go ahead. Iraq's two main religious communities had planned a joint march in Baghdad as a show of unity and a sign the stampede could become a catalyst for improved relations between them.

But although members of both communities arrived at Baghdad's big Um Al-Qura Mosque to pray together, Sunnis easily outnumbered Shiites, and despite calls from religious leaders on both sides, there was no peaceful demonstration.

Read more.

[JuniperLea]

1. Bush's criminal acts at home

has empowered them.

[Jack Rabbit]

3. Perhaps you missed what's important in this story

This is Shia acting violently toward Sunnis. Up to now, Iraqi-on-Iraqi violence has been Sunni (e.g., Zarqawi) murdering Shia.

This means that the Shia have lost faith in the system to protect them and, worse than that, are attacking soft targets. This looks like an act of revenge, but it is aimed at Sunnis in general, not at the Sunni terrorists who are responsible for attacks on Shia.

[VegasWolf]

2. Bush's other Civil War proceeding nicely! nt

[TheCowsCameHome]

4. But Bush says "stay the course". Now stop that squabbling and make nice

You children don't play well together, do you?

Look, our Chimp-in-Chief has a multi-million dollar home to rebuild for one of our Sen. Plastichead.

First things first, Ok?

[skooooo]

5. Let these people solve their own problems....

...bring our troops home NOW.

[Massachusetts]

6. "Let these people solve their own problems...."

Yes, but what about the Pottery Rule?

[VegasWolf]

7. Simple, it is an oft quoted false-ism of Powell. Iraq is not the Pottery

Barn. We are INCREASING tensions by remaining there. All that we
can possibly do in Iraq is get more innocent Iraqis and Americans killed for nothing. Screw Bush and his oil.