Iraqi Clerics' Ties Worry U.S.

[kskiska]

Rare Alliance Between Shiite, Sunni Could Bolster Resistance

Sunday, August 17, 2003; Page A01

NAJAF, Iraq, Aug. 16 -- A popular Sunni Muslim cleric has provided grass-roots and financial support to a leading anti-American Shiite cleric, a rare example of cooperation across Iraq's sectarian divide that has alarmed U.S. officials for its potential to bolster festering resistance to the American occupation, senior U.S. and Iraqi officials say.

The ties mark one of the first signs of coordination between anti-occupation elements of the Sunni minority, the traditional rulers of the country, and its Shiite majority, seen by U.S. officials as the key to stability in postwar Iraq.

(snip)

U.S. officials say they are especially worried that such cooperation will strengthen Sadr. U.S. officials were taken by surprise by the young cleric's rise to prominence and have remained publicly dismissive of his influence. But they privately acknowledge his support among the poorest and most alienated in cities such as Baghdad and Basra -- a constituency that has long played a role in Iraqi politics -- and express frustration over their inability to curb his influence at a time of growing criticism of U.S. reconstruction efforts.

"This is a political challenge, and it is a distraction, and it keeps the show from getting on the road," said a senior U.S. official in Baghdad, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "We cannot afford the distraction."

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A4453-2003Aug16.html

[greatauntoftriplets]

1. Hey, numbnuts is a uniter,

NOT a divider. Jeez, he has united two bitter enemies. Good work, Georgie! Great news for the troops over there, who will soon be caught in the middle of a bloody civil war.

[Mari333]

3. You beat me to it LOL

.

[indictrichardperle]

4. that is a logical development

the sunni and the shia united by a common enemy-the occupiers.

This is the opposite of what Chalabi and Bremer had hoped for, to divide and conquer more easily by playing the sunni and the shia against each other.

Everything these idiots touch turns to shit.

[Mari333]

2. Bush is a UNITER NOT A divider

HE is uniting the whole muslim world against the US by invading a sovereign country for his BFEE friends.
at the cost of thousands of lives, at the cost of all our children, and the future of the United States.

[starroute]

5. Moqtadah al-Sadr just keeps getting stronger

I've been keeping an eye on him ever since last April, when he was suspected of being responsible for the murder of a pro-American Shi'ite cleric in the mosque in Najaf.

He's from a prominent Shi'ite clerical family, after whose martyred members the Baghdad slum of Sadr City was recently renamed. He's only in his twenties and never carried his own clerical studies far enough to be taken seriously as a religious authority, but he's been steadily accumulating political power.

Al-Sadr has had his own militia for a while. A month ago, when US forces surrounded his home in Najaf after he denounced the occupation, 3000 of his supporters came out to demonstrate and forced the US to back down.

A couple of weeks ago, he announced the formation of an "army of al-Mahdi," and quickly pulled in thousands of volunteers. Although he hasn't gone so far as to declare jihad against the US, he seems to be doing everything possible to stir up Iraqi discontent.

After the flag incident earlier this week, it was al-Sadr who rejected the initial US apology and demanded a full public apology and compensation for the victims. And now this article suggests the US is getting actively nervous about his growing influence.

I'm getting a little nervous myself. This guy seems genuinely dangerous, the sort of person who could set the whole Middle East aflame. (As an exercise for the reader, I suggest you look up the word "mahdi" to get an idea of what archetypes he's drawing upon.) Compared to what al-Sadr might become, a quixotic romantic like Osama bin Laden seems almost negligible.

[Mal]

6. "the sort of person who could set the whole Middle East aflame"

Yayyy!! Go! Go! Go!
Burn this message if you wish, I don't care, but I am a member of the Western World who would quite like to see the "Greatest Force For Peace In The World" get its arse royally kicked.

[Aidoneus]

7. events are working in Sadr's favour

A combination between the continued provocations and insults by the occupation force and the collaboration of the establishment Shia organizations will make him a popular fellow as time goes on..

Hizb al-Daawa & SAIRI, the Shia Islamic revolutionary parties of the previous generation, are both involved with the puppet council set up by proconsul Bremer; of the Mideast countries, I believe only Iran recognizes the legitimacy of this council as yet (as if many of Iraq's neighbors have any right to "legitimacy" in their own right aside from being faithful US servants, but that's another story altogether). Iraqis who oppose the occupation will turn to Sayyid Sadr's movement instead of those groups if their collaboration with Bremer and the invaders continues. There are certain parallels here to 80s Lebanon that are difficult to resist making comparisons to, however unsavory the collective search for analogous events tends to be on occasion.

As far as setting the whole Middle East aflame, considering the status quo in the region and the world, maybe just such a thing is overdue. :shrug: