CounterPunch: Shiites Humiliate Bush

[protect freedom impeach bush now]

http://www.counterpunch.org/leupp09062003.html

September 5, 2003

"Iraq Must Not Remain Occupied. We Can Build Iraq as God Wants"
Shiites Humiliate Bush
By GARY LEUPP



"The occupation force is primarily responsible for the pure blood that was spilt in holy Al-Najaf, the blood of al-Hakim and the faithful group that was present near the mosque. This force is primarily responsible for all this blood and the blood that is shed all over Iraq every day. Iraq must not remain occupied and the occupation must leave so that we can build Iraq as God wants us to do."



The remarkable funeral oration by Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, brother of Iraq's most prominent Shiite cleric and political figure, the slain Ayatollah Mohammed Baqr al-Hakim, might just prove the death-knell of the occupation and even the neocons' whole world-changing project. Last month's horrific car-bombing of the Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf, which may have taken the lives of up to 125 people, was itself, as the BBC put it, "a massive setback for coalition forces" regardless of who did it. But for the dead cleric's brother, who (still) sits on Iraq's U.S.-appointed Governing Council, to tell a crowd of half a million grieving Shiites Sept. 1 that occupation forces bear primary responsibility for all the bloodshed is perhaps an equal setback. Embarrassing, too, that two Shiite members on the 25-member puppet council (Mohammed Bahr al-Uloum and Mohsen Abdul Hamid) have stepped down over the Najaf episode. They like most Iraqis protest the lack of security, electricity and water resulting from the invasion. When even those most willing to cooperate with you start publicly dissing you---and bringing God into it---you know you're in trouble.

more.................

[starroute]

1. Wait a minute -- Mohsen Abdul Hamid is a Sunni!

Here's a rundown on the make-up of the council:
http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,6746615%255E1702,00.html

Mohsen Abdul Hamid, a Sunni secretary general of the Islamic Party, the Iraqi branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, founded in 1960 and banned the following year.

I guess it just proves once more that * is a uniter. :-)

[opihimoimoi]

2. The Western Mind cannot understand the MidEastern Mind.

Its simple as that. Especially the Western Mind handicapped by delusion and arrogance such as the Pub's Bush.

Such is life, Come, we try to convince others the Bush is a fraud.

[Solomon]

4. Bizingo!!!!!

Americans are mentally ill. We have a superiority complex like no tomorrow. Arrogant, ignorant, greedy, vengeful, sanctimonious, unethical, immoral, unfaithful, ....

[Clete]

3. Something that's been bothering me.

Do you think we assassinated the Ayatollah? Do you think that it was the Americans behind it and they are blaming it on terrorists or making it appear as if it was terrorists? I mean the Ayatollah was certainly a wild card and he could have been troublesome down the line thwarting a lot of their plans.

I probably should have posted this separately but since it was about him, I am just wondering.