| Submit your comments on this article |
| Iraq |
| Iraq PM denounces Israel over Lebanon, Gaza |
| 2006-07-15 |
| REUTERS - read with caution BAGHDAD, July 15 (Reuters) - Iraq's U.S.-backed government denounced Israel's "criminal" raids on Lebanon and Gaza and the prime minister warned on Saturday that violence could escalate across the Middle East. In a rare public foray into affairs beyond Iraq's borders, the premier's office said in a statement: "Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki denounces the Israeli raids on Lebanon and warns of the consequences of escalation in the region. "The prime minister calls on Arab foreign ministers to meet to take a clear stand that condemns the criminal acts in Lebanon and Gaza and affirms this assault will make Lebanon's people more united and cohesive in the face of the Israeli challenge." Arab foreign ministers held an emergency meeting in Cairo on Saturday to discuss ways to end Israeli attacks. The Iraqi government, installed two months ago in a U.S.-sponsored electoral process, has focused its foreign policy on mending frosty relations with its neighbours, partly to improve security by hindering foreign aid to guerrilla groups. Other Arabs have been suspicious of Iraq's new rulers, partly because of the dominant U.S. military role in Baghdad. Maliki has been at pains recently to demonstrate independence and to improve ties with the mostly Sunni Muslim Arab leaders. Some of his fellow Shi'ite Islamists in the coalition government, notably followers of radical young cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, have voiced support for Hizbollah, the militant Shi'ite group that is the main target of Israeli attacks in Lebanon. The democratic rise of Islamist leaders from Iraq's Shi'ite majority oppressed under Saddam Hussein, has created delicate diplomatic problems for the United States, particularly in view of those leaders' links to Shi'ite Iran, Washington's most powerful enemy in the region and a supporter of Hizbollah. As elsewhere in the Middle East, criticism of Israel, the United States' closest ally there, is also widespread in Iraq. The speaker of parliament, a Sunni, accused "Jewish Israeli Zionists" this week of fomenting sectarian unrest in Iraq to thwart efforts by Sunnis and Shi'ites to build an Islamic state. Washington has taken a dim view of Mahmoud al-Mashhadani's comments. A person speaking in Baghdad on Saturday on condition of being quoted only as a Western diplomat told reporters: "It is a shame that the speaker of parliament would make comments like that. It doesn't show responsibility... "These comments are not representative of the government." |
| Posted by:Sherry |
| #14 I don't say that lightly because I believe all are created equal. But I'm not sure that a religion that requires that church and state to be inseperable can function as a democracy when that religion is based on the concept that there are good people and then there are infidels which need to be eliminated from society to solve societies ills. I know I'm not saying anything that anyone doesn't know already - but these societies that are born and bred on the concept of victimization - anything and everything wrong can be blamed on the jews - aren't going to be able to rally the people away from demogogues who are willing to say - everything would be ok if we could just get rid of the jews. But keep in mind - that the problem plaguing Islamic countries is exactly the same problem that plagues our own Democratic party. If your life isn't going well - blame "The Man". It's easy to see exactly the same dynamic at play here at home, and in Europe. Our Democrats are also willing to fall prey to the same self-destructive behavior be it on crime, illegal immigration, poor schools, poverty etc. You don't need to actually DO anything - you just blame a convenient Satan (George Bush, ENRON, or OTHER people who drive SUV's etc.) and you are absolved of your responsibility to make difficult choices or personal sacrifice. Thus you see the Democrats and self-proclaimed liberal elites allowing themselves to be willing participants in policies that are clearly self-destructive. To prove my point - look at how they are willing to work against their own interests on the war in Iraq or immigration or tax cuts. It's because there will always be a segment of society willing to whipped up into following someone in a position of power that is willing to tell them that they needed not do anything other than blame Someone Else(TM) and that by blaming Someone Else(TM) their job is done and they are superior for doing so. Just scream heretic, or witch or racist or sexist and viola! you have not only identified and solved the problem - but you have established your own superiority in the process. Islam as a religion demands that its followers identify infidels and eliminate them. But it's not that different than what the far left of our Democratic Party - or the European elites are doing as well. |
| Posted by: 2b 2006-07-15 23:40 |
| #13 maybe Islam and democracy really aren't compatible. Told you so! |
| Posted by: Jack Shiraq 2006-07-15 22:38 |
| #12 maybe Islam and democracy really aren't compatible. |
| Posted by: 2b 2006-07-15 21:59 |
| #11 Be a very different situation if Saddamn was still in power. One benefit from that war. |
| Posted by: DoDo 2006-07-15 21:55 |
| #10 those'r Jooos, they don't tally with the tranzis. Go Israel! |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-07-15 21:27 |
| #9 And in the Rooters sidebar"Israelis kill 35", and no mentions of deaths in Israel... |
| Posted by: Capsu78 2006-07-15 21:18 |
| #8 It's congential. The Arabs don't get it. The Persinas don't get it. The rest of them don't. Europe enables them and we do too. #10 |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2006-07-15 20:59 |
| #7 Gee, it sure looks like the "light unto the Muslim nations" project is going well. |
| Posted by: Kratos 2006-07-15 20:38 |
| #6 I've never, ever, met an Arab that could talk about Israel without losing his cool and devolving into spittle. It's obviously congenital indoctrination. On the other hand, I have met a couple of Persians (who had escaped the "revolution" and were living in the US) that could contain themselves, but others who had the same stupid knee-jerk you refer to. It's an eye-opener to see someone you thought you knew well suddenly become a stark raving lunatic who's lost any capacity for rational thought. All you can do is write them off. |
| Posted by: Hupinetle Sninetle9012 2006-07-15 20:12 |
| #5 The Iraqi government, installed two months ago in a U.S.-sponsored electoral process.... Rooters still can't handle free elections. Incredible editorialising. |
| Posted by: Inspector Clueso 2006-07-15 20:08 |
| #4 or knee-jerk anti-Jooooos response |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-07-15 20:05 |
| #3 Think he's worried that violence might spread to Iraq? |
| Posted by: Hupinetle Sninetle9012 2006-07-15 20:03 |
| #2 like his personal safety....withdraw any US security for him, thankyouverymuch |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-07-15 20:01 |
| #1 Wow, what an unexpected and shocking developement. One might think he had better things to worry about. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2006-07-15 19:59 |