KR: U.S. appeals to Iraq's cleric (Sistani) to help end political impasse

[Rose Siding]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. officials sent a message this week to Iraq's senior religious cleric asking that he help end the impasse over forming a new Iraqi government and strongly implying that the prime minister, Ibrahim al-Jafaari, should withdraw his candidacy for re-election, according to American officials.

The unusual decision by the White House to reach out to Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani suggested how eager the Bush administration is to jump-start negotiations that have failed to produce Iraq's first permanent postwar government more than three months after national elections.

But by contacting the revered Shiite Muslim leader, the administration risks further angering Iraqi leaders, who already complain that the United States is interfering too much with the process.
....
The administration's outreach to al-Sistani underscored how much Bush has at stake in ending Iraq's political stalemate, which has gone on for months as violence continues.

"What it reflects - we are, we're deeper into this process," the administration official said.

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/14208086.htm

[AndyTiedye]

1. Same Sistiani That Issued the Fatwa to Kill all the Gays in Iraq

[saigon68]

2. The Chimp would love to kill all the gays here too.

Like his handlers, Falwell, Robertson and all the other evil devil worshipers

[rodeodance]

3. Rice should be over there (long time ago)--trying to resolve this mess!

[bemildred]

4. "Please, Mr. Fox, will you help me let go of this tarbaby?"

"Deeper into this process" indeed.

[Dhalgren]

5. Man, the King really wants the Iranians to help out, doesn't he?

First, he tries to get the Iranian government to meet about settling down Iraq, but he has to back out because he is also trying to paint the Iranians as "nukulor evil-duers". So now the King goes to another Iranian, hat in hand (crown in hand?) asking for help. What a pathetic dweeb of a little man. Hey, I know, maybe the North Koreans could help? Worth a shot...