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Iraq-Jordan
Shiite Silence over Fallujah Assault Criticized
2004-11-12
By Aws Al-Sharqi, IOL Correspondent EFL
As the US military offensive on Fallujah entered its fourth day Friday, November 12, Shiite leaders came under heavy fire for a "dubious" silence over the aggression on the Sunni city.
Stop right there. The Marines in Falluja are coming under heavy fire.
The policemen in Mosul are coming under heavy fire.
The indolent Shi'a clerics are coming under heavy criticism from equally indolent Sunni clerics. Cry me a river.
"The silence of Shiite leaders over the US military campaign on the Sunni city of Fallujah is dubious and weird," Sheikh Mahdi El-Bedeiri, a Shiite scholar, told IslamOnline.net. El-Bedeiri suspected that Shiite scholars stopped short of condemning the strikes against the 300,000-populated Fallujah because of political reasons. "Do some of them consider taking part in the rule of the country or winning elections at the expense of the skulls of other Iraqis?," he said.
I'll take "Yes" for $500, Alex
El-Bedeiri called on Iraqi parties and organizations to stage demonstrations and sit-ins in protest at the "massacres and massive destruction in Fallujah" after the strikes. Still, the opposition of the Shiites to the military aggression on Fallujah took a gradual divisive shape.
Anti-US firebrand Al-Sadr vehemently condemned the strikes as "a brazen aggression" on Iraqis regardless of their sect or religion." Abdel-Hadi Al-Daraji, Sadr's aide, has also called on the Iraqi government to "stem the bloodshed" in Fallujah. Renowned Shiite scholar Mohamed Gawwad Al-Khalsi also slammed the assault and called for helping families that have fled Fallujah. "The aggressions on Fallujans are a demonstration of the government's failure to move all the way to peaceful solutions to the crisis," Al-Khalsi said in a statement. He warned that the offensive would have a negative impact on the political process in the country and on the elections, due in January 2005.
Posted by:Steve

#11  Ramadi is next. The Iraqis and kurds working together with possibly a battallion or two from us can take care of the terrorists in Mosul. Ramadi is a hornets nest of hard boyz and needs to be taken down fast.

The end game is in sight gentlemen.
Posted by: Damn_Proud_American   2004-11-12 7:32:00 PM  

#10  Half the Shia were certain we'd restore dictatorship because we'd failed to level Fallujah and salt the Earth. This guys wacked.

Although the idea that some Shia militia might have all joined up with the Iraqi military to get training and ammo and practice killing Sunni does seem possible to me.
Posted by: rjschwarz   2004-11-12 6:46:03 PM  

#9  All these clerics are a bunch of windbags that think that issuing a fatwa will change the world and they will get their way. If Iraq is ever to get out of the hole that it is in, it first has to diminish the so-called power of the clerics.

BTW, speaking of wannabe clerics, have not heard much of Tater these days.....
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2004-11-12 6:36:47 PM  

#8  
"The people in Mosel, Ramadi and other areas begin to refuse to give safe heaven for the insurgents due to the fear of similar fate may happen in their cities."

Message successfully sent.
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2004-11-12 6:32:02 PM  

#7  I like Hammorabi's reporting style!
Posted by: Seafarious   2004-11-12 5:21:59 PM  

#6  Mosul probably won't be the same kind of fight.
From Hammorabi, "The people in Mosel, Ramadi and other areas begin to refuse to give safe heaven for the insurgents due to the fear of similar fate may happen in their cities."
Part of the plan? Of course.
Posted by: Dishman   2004-11-12 5:18:34 PM  

#5  "Sadr’s aide, has also called on the Iraqi government to “stem the bloodshed” in Fallujah."

I think that's the plan; wipe out all the bastards and the blood shed stops. Seems pretty simple to me. Next stop, "Mosul,the sequel."
Posted by: USN, retired   2004-11-12 4:51:21 PM  

#4  It does look like the timing of the decision to allow (mostly Shia) ex-pats to vote in the upcoming elections may not have been a mere coincidence .....
Posted by: rkb   2004-11-12 4:43:04 PM  

#3  â€œDo some of them consider taking part in the rule of the country or winning elections at the expense of the skulls of other Iraqis?,” he said.

Ooooh, when Saddam (a Sunni) was sitting pretty and picking on Shiites, I'll bet this guy had little to say about it. Now that it's Sunnis that are under the gun, all of a sudden it's all about fellow Iraqis. Louder, squeal louder, please.
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2004-11-12 4:36:54 PM  

#2  Hey Sumaydai.... I seem to remember a bunch of shiite truck drivers that your bretheren butchered in Fallujah. Payback's a be-otch ain't it?
Posted by: Rex Mundi   2004-11-12 4:33:17 PM  

#1   "recalled that all Sunni religious leaders supported the Shiites in the holy city of Najaf and the Baghdad slum of Sadr City when the US-led military clashed with fighters loyal to Shiite leader Muqtada Al-Sadr. "

Yup. So no surprise that Sistani, is quietly supporting the US assault on Fallujah. At least not to anyone with a clue.
Posted by: Liberalhawk   2004-11-12 4:23:16 PM  

00:00