Iraqi civil war threatens region, Mubarak says

[cal04]

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has warned Iraq is in the middle of a civil war that threatened the whole of the Middle East. Speaking on a satellite news channel, Al-Arabiya, Mr Mubarak also expressed alarm about Shiite Iran's influence in the Arab world. "There is effectively a civil war under way now(in Iraq)," Mr Mubarak said. "If the Americans left now, it would be a catastrophe because the war will get worse and Iran and others will interfere and the country will become the theatre of an ugly civil war and terror will eat up not only Iraq but the entire region."

His comments come hours after a suicide car bomber killed six Shiite pilgrims south of Baghdad, and a day after 79 worshippers were killed in a triple suicide attack against one of the capital's main Shiite mosques. "I do not know when the situation in Iraq will stabilise. I personally do not see a solution to the problem in Iraq, which is practically destroyed now," Mr Mubarak said. "If Saddam was more just none of this would have happened."

Mr Mubarak said Iraq's situation was made worse by the mix of Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds and other groups living there.
He said Iran exerted a huge influence over Iraq's majority Shiite population and Shiites living in Arab countries. "There are Shiites in all these countries (of the region), significant percentages, and Shiites are mostly always loyal to Iran and not the countries where they live," he said.

"Naturally Iran has an influence over Shiites who make up 65 per cent of Iraq's population." There are also significant Shiite populations in Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. Tehran cut diplomatic ties with Cairo after then Egyptian president Anwar Sadat made peace with Israel in 1979. Receiving about $US2 billion a year, Egypt is the largest recipient of US foreign aid after Israel and Iraq.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200604/s1611881.htm

[LynnTheDem]

1. Now STOP THAT! Just coz Iraqi officials say Iraq is in civil war,

just coz Iraqis say Iraq is in a civil war, just coz all the ME nations' leaders say Iraq is in a civil war, just coz the US State Dept and US intell say Iraq is in a civil war, just coz any sentient being with the slightest bit of brain knows Iraq is in a civil war, BUSH SAYS Iraq is NOT in a civil war!

So STOP SAYING THAT!

Rightwingnuts; stupidest MFers ever hatched.

[wookie294]

2. Disagree with Mubarak

Most of the Arab world is Sunni, not Shiite, and most Arabs do not want Iran and the Shiites to be controlling Iraq. This is why Mubarak and his fellow Sunnis in the Arab world want American troops to continue dying in Iraq for reasons that do not serve the United States. Get the hell out NOW. Let the Arabs fight their own wars. Most of the USA's oil comes from Canada and Latin America, not the Middle East. Just say NO to doomsayers like Mubarak.

[enigma000]

3. I don't understand

Mubarak wants the US to continue to prop up a Shiite dominated Iraqi government? Unless he expects the US to change sides and ally with the Sunni.

[wookie294]

4. I think

Mubarak wants American troops to stay in Iraq to prevent the Shiite regime from falling further into the hands of Iran and its Shite rulers. I think we'll hear more Arab governments call for American troops to stay in Iraq since most of those governments are Sunni and don't approve of Iran.

[cal04]

5. Iraq angered by civil war warning

On Sunday, Mr Jaafari - currently interim prime minister - appeared before reporters to dismiss suggestions made by Egypt's Hosni Mubarak that there was a civil war in Iraq. Flanked by Sunni and Kurdish politicians, Mr Jaafari said: "We are astonished that Egypt identifies Iraq's security problems as a civil war."

"Our people are still far away from any sectarian conflict or a civil war," he added.
"The comments have upset Iraqi people who come from different religious and ethnic backgrounds and have astonished and discontented the Iraqi government."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4892784.stm