Cleric Warns of Rejecting US Iraq Plan

[leftchick]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040116/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq&cid=540&ncid=716

<snip>
BASRA, Iraq - An aide to Iraq (news - web sites)'s foremost Shiite cleric said the spiritual leader might issue a religious edict rejecting a U.S.-backed government if his demands for direct elections are ignored.


The warning came Thursday as tens of thousands of Shiite Muslims rallied in Basra to protest a U.S.-backed formula for choosing Iraq's new legislature.


The turnout in Basra, 340 miles southeast of Baghdad, estimated by British soldiers at up to 30,000, was the biggest protest organized by Shiite clerics against the power transfer plan.


Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani and other clerics wield vast influence among Iraq's Shiites, believed to comprise about 60 percent of the country's 25 million people.

[acmavm]

1. I thought that rocket scientist Rummy said "no theocracy" for

Iraq? Or am I mistaken? Does this mean that Chalabi may just have to look for another job because he isn't going to become the appointed rule of Iraq? Just wondering, because the Bush* administration sure spent a lot of lives and money trying to get it for him.

[leftchick]

2. There was an excellent analysis on BBC America this morning...

too bad we don't have real news in this country or muricans would realize how fucked this situation is. It seems al-sistani is not going to budge on the election issue at all. It appears bremer is here to get bush*(cheney) to budge. We have an election coming so they won't budge on their timeline. We know how well they compromise... :eyes: I assume there will be a holy war to oust the occupiers before this is over and the cabal will have many more of our soldiers and Iraqis blood on their hands. Yes chalabi is screwed too and that lying pig deserves it.

[PATRICK]

3. Bush blowing the opportunity

Most of the ayatollahs were tamed softies, like Christian clerics in the old Soviet Union. There is a narrow window to make the best of that, but that is not what the Bush focus is on. They have gripped a destiny that runs counter to what they want, but like the monkey with the fist in the jar they won't let go.

The Democrat could still turn that around so fast it would make people puzzle what was all the bother about.

Without pointing a finger at Bushco's little dominance problem of course.

[leftchick]

4. I can guarentee one thing....

Like everything else in his puny, pathetic, little life, aWol* asshole will fuck this up bigtime. I hope and pray that this will be the one fuckup he ends up paying for at an impeachment hearing. :grr:

[Barrett808]

5. Sistani: mailed fist firmly in velvet glove

He has us in the palm of his hand -- all he needs to do now is squeeze a little harder every day.

[Devils Advocate NZ]

6. The worst part about this is that ANY President faces the same choice:

allow a democratic election in which the Shi'ites take over, probably leading to a Muslim fundamentalist theocracy, or install a "democratic" dictator that will supress the Shi'ites much the same as Hussein did.

Either way, the result will NOT be favourable for America.