Shiite suspends membership of Iraqi council over Najaf outrage

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20030830/wl_mideast_afp/iraq_najaf_blast_council&cid=1514&ncid=1480

NAJAF, Iraq (AFP) - Mohammad Bahr al-Uloom, a Shiite dignitary on Iraq's Governing Council, announced on Saturday he was suspending his membership of the interim body in protest against Friday's bombing in this holy city that claimed the lives of a top Shiite leader and 82 others.

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[Spazito]

1. Not surprised...

but does not bode well for Bush and his gang. Security is their responsibility and they failed miserably yet again.

[NNN0LHI]

2. He must have recieved the memo...

...which stated that if you would like to keep breathing, it might be best to avoid collaborating with the Americans. Just a guess though?

Don

[aquart]

3. Suspending membership means what?

[markses]

4. It's a nice way of saying he quit

Probably because he will no longer work with the Sunni members of the council, given the outrage. In other words, we are fast descending into sectarian civil war. Oh, with the guys from Arkansas, Alaska, Wyoming, Florida etc, etc, in the middle of the whole mess.

Going south, rapidissimo...

[starroute]

5. He's a 78 year old Shi'ite cleric from Najaf

One of a couple of council members who were chosen out of respect rather than because of their political clout.

That suggests to me that his backing out is an act of moral condemnation, and not of political juggling