Why won't al Sistani issue a statement

[Disturbed]

to the effect that that Sunnis and Shi'ites should stop killing each other and that suicide bombings that kill non combatents is wrong according to Islam?

Any guesses?

[David Zephyr]

1. Because it is now in Sistani's interest to let Bush hand Iraq over to him

and thereby Iran, too.

Don't expect a critical word from any Shi'a leaders anymore.

Thanks to G.W. Bush, Iraq is now on fast track to becoming Iran by proxy.

[Disturbed]

2. Iran Iraq Alliances.

Yes they are both mostly Shi'ites, so the U.S. in killing Sunnis is aiding Iran in that respect. Still, the Sunnis will not disappear from Iraq so wouldn't it be to all of Iraq's best interest to try harder to work out some sort of power sharing compromise and work towards getting the U.S. boot off of their necks?

[David Zephyr]

That's exactly what Sistani is doing.

Bush and Sistani now have the very same goal: The U.S. out of Iraq with a pretense of victory and democracy. In fact, Bush and Sistani now need each other.

Bush now knows that Iraq is a lost cause and needs a face saving exit like Nixon's phony "peace with honor" to mask our defeat.

Sistani now knows that Bush will pull out if he can conjure up a theatrical, albeit temporary, government that "includes" Sunnis.

But once the troops begin to leave, Sistani and Iran's influence will be like an uncontrollable tide.

Of course, the Sunnis are not ignorant to this at all and their murdering of any other Sunnis who are cooperating with Sistani is a manifestation of this.

There will be a horrific civil war and bloodshed as Bush cuts and runs from his disastrous war. He can only hope that he can squeeze in a good old ticker tape parade of "victory" before the whole thing implodes.

[David Zephyr]

3. Accidental duplicate upload.

Sorry.

[Donna Zen]

4. legitimacy

Sistani, who only speaks to the West through his spokesperson, is sitting quietly and watching the chess board. It doesn't matter to him how the pieces are advanced or fall, because in the end, as he gains legitimacy, he controls the day.

The Iran-Iraq alliance will be done carefully, with Sistani holding power in Iraq as opposed to being an Iranian puppet.

I agree with David, that all of our children's blood and all of the treasure that could have taken care of our needs, has gone to insuring a lumbering Islamic alliance, a giant that will eventually have nuclear weapons, in the middle of the Gulf.

This war is the greatest geopolitical, strategic blunder that the US has ever made.

I do believe that bush etal still dream of establishing the great US police station in Iraq. Someday, on a day of his chosing, Sistani will throw them out.

[Disturbed]

5. Perhaps a deal has been struck?

Maybe a deal that the U.S. will get favorable treatment regarding the oil flow and no selling of oil via the Euro has been made. Since Ahmed Chalabi wormed his way into to the Shi'ite power block and is now Interim Oil Minister it seems that a behind the scenes deal has been or is being struck.

[Donna Zen]

6. Dunno

Sistani is very enigmatic in his messages. Whatever is up, he holds the keys to kingdom.

[Yupster]

7. If Sistani an avoid suicide bombers, then

he holds all the cards.

While the US is there, we help him kill off the Sunni insurgents.

Once we leave, he'll have the numbers so he'll be in charge.

If the Sunnis give him trouble, he can unleash the Sadr and other Shi-ite militias and either start a genocide or send the Sunnis to flight.

If I were the Sunnis, I would want the Americans to stay. With my tin foil hat on sometimes I think that's what their insurgency is aimed at. They need to keep us there, because once we leave, old scores will be settled, and it will end badly for the Sunnis.

[Donna Zen]

9. But the Kurds

have kept their own armies. This thing is really much more complicated than America even suspects. The Shia are not a unified segment of the population. The Sunnis are much more unified, and they are the majority in most countries of the region. Will the Jordanians or the Syrians let this genocide go on? They also know that blowing up the oil fields will get the whole world's attention. Oh, and we must remember the Turkmans.

The worst geopolitical blunder the US has ever made.

[Gyre]

8. Great photo!

Modern stormtroopers winning hearts and minds and keeping KBR and Blackwater in serious hootch. Can you imagine them on your streets and being a brown person?

Gyre

[Disturbed]

10. Oh, yeah. I am quite aware that the situation is complicated.

Jordan and Syria are mostly Sunni and so are at least half of the Kurds.

I also feel that most Amerikans don't give a damn about Iraq, except for the U.S. troops being killed &/or maimed. If the most U.S. pulled out with 10 months and maybe 50K stayed hunkered down on bases far from the main cities with very few casualties Iraq would be similar to Afghanistan news wise; hardly any.

I don't feel there will be a three way Civil War as most seem to. I feel that if the U.S. and it's allies pulled out completely that the Iraqis would have some skirmishes but in a few years they would settle their differences. I have reasons why I feel that and may post those at a later time.