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2006-02-24 Iraq

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Posted by Fred 2006-02-24 00:00|| || Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 "The main Sunni alliance, the National Concord Front, also boycotted an emergency meeting of national leaders held by President Jalal Talabani in a bid to restore calm.
If they boycotted that particular meeting, that means they don't want to restore calm. They think they're going to get concessions out of the violence, and they think they can stop it when they're ready. "

Mebbe. Or mebbe theyre afraid of losing support in their own community if they talk.

"Are they the local hard boyz, rounded up and offed even though there's no evidence that they did what everybody knows they did, or are they the nearest guys with the right colored turban? "

well thats the problem with having militias run around killing people with zero judicial procedure A. You will likely kill the nearest guys B. Even if you kill the right guys, the folks who mistrust you have every reason to think that you didnt. (and if anyone thinks the shiite militias, or even the Iraqi security forces, are in position to carefully identify and execute the right bad guys a la the IDF, then ive got a nice bridge to sell you - and BTW, the Israelis arent looking to share a state with the Pals long run)

Once again, look at the Brits in Malaya. A govt has to act like a govt, and use processes of law. In an emergency you of course suspend that - but declaring an emergency is a major concession of how bad things are (and an act the Iraqi govt has NOT done)

"Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, renewed calls to his community to remain calm and forsake revenge for the bombing of the shrine.
That's working well, isn't it? "

Now youre sounding like the NYT. 130 dead isnt 500 dead. or 2000 dead. And the Shiites have been subject to extreme provocation for 3 years. I aint calling for nobody to be killed, but Im not sure 130 reprisal deaths is panic button time. Seems to me thats still restraint, and restraint largely cause of Sistani. Anyway, lets see if the Friday sermons lead to more or less violence.

Posted by liberalhawk 2006-02-24 10:25|| 2006-02-24 10:25|| Front Page Top

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