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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Al-Zarqawi Overplays Hand: Even Anti-American Elements Unite Against Him |
| 2004-06-26 |
| EFL Key Iraqi opponents of the U.S. occupation expressed unease Friday over the wave of insurgent attacks that killed more than 100 Iraqis a day earlier, and rejected efforts by foreign guerrillas to take the lead in the insurgency and mate it with the international jihad advocated by Osama bin Laden. "We do not need anyone from outside the borders to stand with us and spill the blood of our sons in Iraq," Ahmed Abdul Ghafour Samarrae, a Sunni cleric with a wide following, declared in his Friday sermon at Umm al Qurra mosque in Baghdad. Since they were appointed three weeks ago, Prime Minister Ayad Allawi and members of his U.S.-sponsored interim government have railed against the car bombings and other attacks. But Friday’s show of disgust — expressed in mosques and, in Sadr’s case, with fliers calling for cooperation with Iraqi police — marked the first time anti-occupation clerics and fighters sided against violence associated with the insurgency, for which Zarqawi has increasingly asserted responsibility. In that light, it could be an important moment in the U.S. struggle to win acceptance for the military occupation and for the interim government scheduled to acquire limited authority next Wednesday. While far from embracing the U.S. occupation or the new government, the anti-occupation leaders seemed to disavow the bloodiest edge of the violence and Zarqawi’s attempt to make it part of al Qaeda’s vision of international jihad. Samarrae said he had learned that some Iraqi insurgent leaders have begun to clash with Zarqawi loyalists, insisting the jihadists do not represent the "right and true resistance." He warned against those who he said want to tear the country apart in the name of Islam and suggested they were foreigners who should not be part of Iraq’s conflict. "This is the first time we have heard the minaret broadcast support for the Iraqi government," said Edward Peter Messmer, the occupation authority’s coordinator for the Baqubah region, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad. "And it couldn’t come at a better time." Sadr, whose Mahdi Army has fought U.S. troops in the Sadr City slum in eastern Baghdad and in Najaf, 90 miles to the south, ordered his followers to lay down their weapons and cooperate with Iraqi police in Sadr City to "deprive the terrorists and saboteurs of the chance to incite chaos and extreme lawlessness." Aws Khafaji, a cleric in Sadr’s militantly political stream of Shiite Islam, disowned Thursday’s violence even more clearly in a sermon at the Hikma mosque in Sadr City. "We condemn and denounce yesterday’s bombings and attacks on police centers and innocent Iraqis, which claimed about 100 lives," he said. "These are attacks launched by suspects and lunatics who are bent on destabilizing the country and ruining the peace so that the Iraqi people will remain in need of American protection." |
| Posted by:sludj |
| #10 Deacon - There is no connection between Zarqawi and Sadr, IMO. Sure there was a convergence of interests and timing since the June 30th thingy was there for all to plan for & target months in advance. Sadr is / was an Iranian tool-fool who shot his bolt some time ago - he's been insignificant for a couple of weeks, now. Sistani, from whom Sadr has desperately sought some form of Shi'a legitimacy, finally snubbed him. Sistani also has finally called a spade a spade and denounced Zarqawi - a pure Islamic blasphemer in Sistani's eyes who threatens Sistani's vision of a Shi'a dominated "democratic" Iraq. I very seriously doubt the AlQ-ish / Wahhabi / Sunni / Ba'athist / foreign 'fighter' forces which Zarqawi putatively leads and associates himself are actively cooperating with the Mad Mullahs. Sure, they will take simultaneity where it affords advantage, but I think it's limited to serendipity. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-06-27 2:16:54 PM |
| #9 Anonymous4617> Since I don't know who you are and since my ideological universe doesn't revolve around you one way or another, I don't know what your own personal "side" is and whether I'm already in it, or whether there's any chance of me ever joining it. |
| Posted by: Aris Katsaris 2004-06-27 1:59:52 PM |
| #8 "These are attacks launched by suspects and lunatics who are bent on destabilizing the country and ruining the peace so that the Iraqi people will remain in need of American protection." "Aws Khafaji... disowned Thursday’s violence even more clearly" This isn't very clear to me. Khafaji seems to be claiming the 'suspects and lunatics' are terrorizing the people so that the U.S. militery will stay there longer. Keee-riced! These people can't say what they mean even when they mean it. |
| Posted by: Larry Everett 2004-06-27 10:08:39 AM |
| #7 How about overplaying his hand by decapitating people? I cannot believe he can be that stupid! I am still thinking that he must have some secret agenda or something because, if he decapitates those three turks, even Aris will come over to the "dark side" (our side). |
| Posted by: Anonymous4617 2004-06-26 10:42:23 PM |
| #6 What did I say? Sadr overplayed his hand and invited Zaeqawi and now when he finally realizes he can't control Zarqawi he "lays down his weapons and cooperates with the Iraqi police". He is in way to deep now. I wouldn't be surprised if Zarqawi has him offed. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2004-06-26 9:05:53 PM |
| #5 As I said in an earlier post: this a major event, a seachange. The veil has been pulled down. Iraqis, even the so-called "insurgents" can see for themselves now who the real enemy is. The Bush strategy is working...better and better every day. |
| Posted by: RMcLeod 2004-06-26 7:02:30 PM |
| #4 I just popped a new bag in the microwave ;) This is better than I was even hoping for... I've read multiple reports of even extremist clerics calling for calm and support of the new gov't. Al Queda is screwed in Iraq. I guarantee in 5 years Iraqis will universally love the US..... But, then in 20 years, when they're rich and comfortable, they'll universally hate us and call us imperialists when we try to help another people living under tyrannical rule ;) |
| Posted by: Damn_Proud_American 2004-06-26 6:37:12 PM |
| #3 This is good news, no matter that these clerics still hate us. Although I found this pretty funny: [one of Sadr's clerics] said "These are attacks launched by suspects and lunatics..." I guess they want the monopoly on the suspect lunatic market. |
| Posted by: beer_me 2004-06-26 6:32:48 PM |
| #2 Dang. I'm almost out of popcorn... |
| Posted by: PBMcL 2004-06-26 5:37:22 PM |
| #1 Are they finally getting sick of being target practice for the "international jihad" and waking up over there? |
| Posted by: tu3031 2004-06-26 5:34:51 PM |