Religious leaders support resistance to foreign troops in Iraq

[sabra]

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/world/14231845.htm

Religious leaders support resistance to foreign troops in Iraq

LONDON - Two years after U.S. authorities ceremoniously declared Iraq to be sovereign again, top religious leaders say Iraqis still don't govern themselves, remain under military occupation and have a right to fight foreign troops.

Their statements, made at the conclusion of a peace conference in London on Tuesday, provided a stamp of approval from Iraq's most influential Sunni and Shiite Muslim clerics for their countrymen to step up attacks aimed at hastening the withdrawal of U.S., British and other troops.

Two Christian archbishops and ethnic Kurdish leaders, whose community has previously supported the foreign military presence, joined Jordan's Prince Hassan bin Talal in endorsing a communique underscoring the "legitimate right" of Iraqis to resist what they called the occupation.

A Defense Department spokesman, Air Force Maj. Todd Vician, praised the religious leaders for holding their dialogue in London because "when they're talking, they're not fighting." But he said it is important for them to understand "that the violence is brought about by the terrorists who try to attack Iraqi security forces, civilians and coalition forces as well."

[saltpoint]

1. I think the oxen pulling the president's wagon-of-democracy to the

Middle East are weary and in need of fresh water, and the wagon itself has one wheel, maybe two, off the road.

Unless he imprisons them in Gitmo, historians are going to write this president down as a comprehensive failure.

[annabanana]

2. It's pretty damn clear that we have no business being there....

Even the people who supported the invasion will have to consider the fact that EVERYONE who speaks for the Iraqi people want us to pack up our bullets and leave.

[VegasWolf]

3. Well, what to expect from a leader, ex-drunk, and awol fool who hears

voices of God in his head telling him to go kill people? The fools in this country that elected Bush must be similarly stupid!!

[maddezmom]

4. kick

[struggle4progress]

5. Iraqis are right to attack troops, clerics say

By Tod Robberson
The Dallas Morning News
Top Shiites, U.S. envoy exchange barbs

LONDON — Two years after U.S. authorities ceremoniously declared Iraq to be sovereign again, top religious leaders say Iraqis remain under military occupation, have a right to fight foreign troops and still don't govern themselves. <snip>

Results of a poll in Iraq, conducted in January but released last week, showed an overwhelming majority of Arab Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds believe the U.S. plans to keep troops in Iraq permanently.

Most also believe the United States would refuse to leave regardless of whether the Iraqi government requested it. The poll was sponsored by the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland. <snip>

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002903575_clerics01.html

[ck4829]

6. They are greeting us with flowers

If by flowers, you mean bullets and bombs

[rocktivity]

7. GOOD NEWS!

Iraq's Sunnis, Shias, and Kurds have found something to agree on!

:party: (This post is part of the George Bush GULF WAR GOOD NEWS initiative.)
rocknation

[0007]

15. That is good news!

:bounce:
:bounce::bounce:
:bounce::bounce::bounce:
:bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce:
:bounce::bounce::bounce:
:bounce::bounce:
:bounce:

[MrPrax]

8. At this point,

it's the duty of Iraqis to resist a 'ruler' than is WORSE than Saddam;
has killed more Iraqis than Saddam,
has no more respect for Democracy than Saddam,
has no more respect for the rule of law than Saddam,
has no more respect for minorities than Saddam
has more detainees in prisons than Saddam,
has used same torture facilities to torture Iraqis as Saddam,
has stolen more from the country's treasurys than Saddam,
has been no better running the country's infrastructure than Saddam,
has been threatening other countries in the ME JUST like SADDAM.


But let's not let the monumental failure of US policy on all levels to the point of sheer laughable incompetency ruin a nice partisan debate about when or if the 'criminals' might fuckin' leave.

[LynnTheDem]

13. Couple corrections if I may;

has been WORSE running the country's infrastructure than Saddam

has been threatening other countries in the ME FAR WORSE than SADDAM ever did.

[MrPrax]

14. I stand corrected

Yeah...the infrastructure.

I remember in the actions before the war, the Mennonites had a meeting with some of their folks, who were just coming back with slides from the sanctions. I remember, I think it was Basra, there was one guy, salvaging out of the garbage for parts to keep the water system going during the sanctions. He apparantly did a not bad job... and then I think now...Jesus Christ, the US has been beyond belief.

They had folks, doing it for free, a university professor, keeping power on in one other town for at least 6 hours a day...!!!

I am at a loss for words...really.

[LynnTheDem]

16. Yep, not fun realizing America under bush is WORSE than Hussein,

WORSE than some Iraqi guy salvaging garbage parts.

But then bush has been a total fuck-up his entire life; he's consistant. at least.

[pinniped]

9. I believe this as well:

--Most also believe the United States would refuse to leave regardless of whether the Iraqi government requested it.--

[ugarte]

10. Most Americans believe the same thing...nt

[barb162]

11. Did you ever notice we are not hearing anymore about

how many Iraq military have been trained? I wonder why that is.

[LynnTheDem]

12. They have a LEGAL right, certainly.

It's quite common for a nation's peoples to attack INVADERS & OCCUPIERS.

So DON'T INVADE & OCCUPY nations, especially ones that had been doing NOTHING WHATSOEVER to anyone. :shrug:

[Tom Joad]

17. Saddam has done something to someone....

He did start a war of aggression against Iran, remember. that, however, did not conflict with the interests of the US elite. so they supported arming him then!

http://tomjoad.org/pipes.htm

[LynnTheDem]

18. When the US invaded Iraq, Iraq was doing NOTHING WHATSOEVER

to anyone.

I wasn't going back 2 decades.

[Tom Joad]

20. Why the anger? I was pointing out that

for those foolish enough to think otherwise, that it certainly was not because of Saddam's actions that US rulers chose to invade Iraq. They were fine with his actions, when he attacked his neighbors, or oppressed his people, even at its worst. Encouraged these actions, even.

I am trying to explode the myth that the US attacked Iraq to free them from Saddam. The US has never opposed Saddam's actions, unless it suited the needs of the power elite.

[LynnTheDem]

23. Not angry at all.

:)

[Tom Joad]

21. Yes, people do have a legal right to armed resistance to

military occupation.
If people don't like the resistance, their choice is to get the hell out.

[HuffleClaw]

19. well DUH.

what else are they gonna say? their nation is under occupation. i like the bit about "Two years after U.S. authorities ceremoniously declared Iraq to be sovereign".

[LynnTheDem]

24. "US declared Iraq to be sovereign"... great irony, isn't it.

And if people weren't dead & dying, it'd be fucking hilarious irony.

[The_Casual_Observer]

22. U.S. plans to keep troops in Iraq permanently

Only if there isn't a really really bloody uprising.

[struggle4progress]

25. Polling indicates both Americans and Iraqis believe something like that:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2546666&mesg_id=2546666

[Demeter]

26. Religious Leaders Have Better Grip on Reality Than Bush

But then, anybody does.