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Iraq
Iraq Cleric Survives Assassination Attempt
2004-02-05
Too bad, this guy needs killin’
Iraq’s most powerful Shiite cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani (search), survived an assassination attempt on Thursday. According to a security official who spoke to the news service, gunmen opened fire on al-Sistani’s entourage. "At 10 o’clock this morning, gunmen opened fire on Ayatollah Sistani as he greeted people in Najaf, but he was not hurt," the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. Al-Sistani has demanded direct elections to choose a provisional assembly to govern Iraq.
I disagree that he needs killing. As far as holy men go, he's the voice of sweet reason. I'm curious as to whether the gunnies are Baathists, Ansar thugs, or Moqtada's boyz. My initial guess would be Moqtada — using gunnies, who can be beaten until they sing or hopped up with giggle juice, or both, is the sort of dumbass move I'd expect from him. But it's probably too dumb even for him, so it'd be Baathists. Ansar would have used an exploding car or a boomer.
Posted by:JerseyMike

#8  correct, and thats not bad at all for us because he will provide order and tamp down the natural 'infidel invader crusader' calls after Iran falls.

Whats what happens in two weeks when the elections take place. Think Hungary - 1956. Keep an eye out for Iranian Air Force defections.
Posted by: Frank Martin   2004-2-5 7:40:55 PM  

#7  I wondered why Sistani was taking marching orders from Iran. All he has to do is play ball and when Iran goes, he's religious head of all.
Posted by: Anonymous2U   2004-2-5 6:44:04 PM  

#6  Indeed -- Iranians (and/or Moqtada) would be my guess also.

They'd like to kill Sistani, the way they killed another major pro-democratic cleric (I forget his name) soon after Baghdad fell.
Posted by: Aris Katsaris   2004-2-5 6:42:05 PM  

#5  Sistani is on our side. He has issued rulings to the effect that muslim clerics can either be clerics or in government, but cannot be both ( good golly auntie mame! separation of church and state, the horror!)

There is one force that is pushing the iraninan mullah goons down and its an shiite insurgent force lead by Sistani. My candidate for the likely asassins are the Iranians. They have everything to lose if he gets elections this year.
Posted by: Frank Martin   2004-2-5 5:15:16 PM  

#4  Or turn on the Sunnis, causing civil war to break out.
Posted by: liberalhawk   2004-2-5 4:48:33 PM  

#3  It easily could be Iranians wanting to enrage the Iraqi Shiite community. The Iranians know the Iraqis would play to type, turn their anger (Dire Revenge!!) on the Americans.
Posted by: remote man   2004-2-5 4:17:39 PM  

#2  BTW AP reports that SCIRI and others deny anything happened.
Posted by: liberalhawk   2004-2-5 3:58:05 PM  

#1  yup, sistani goes down and we're in deep doo-doo. I doubt Al-ansar, both cause of the MO and cause they seem more interested in dramatic booms against foreigners rather than playing local politics. Could be Baathists, but Moqtada probably stronger on the ground in Najaf - his masters in Teheran may be getting nervous with their own problems and the prospect of a UN brokered deal on elections in Iraq.
Posted by: liberalhawk   2004-2-5 3:55:03 PM  

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