Article

2005-09-19 Iraq-Jordan

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Steve 2005-09-19 08:51|| || Front Page|| [2 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 The 579th holiest city of Islam.

Posted by gromgoru 2005-09-19 09:05|| 2005-09-19 09:05|| Front Page Top

#2 Thanks, grom, I was going to ask for a ranking. Has anyone put together a list?

1. Mecca
2. Medina
3. Qum
4. .....
3847. Anywhere Jooooos are living
....
89478. Anywhere moslems once lived.

Posted by Jackal">Jackal 2005-09-19 09:25|| home.earthlink.net/~sleepyjackal/index.html]">[home.earthlink.net/~sleepyjackal/index.html] 2005-09-19 09:25|| Front Page Top

#3 It's about time they stopped the traffic, ya think? D'oh!

Posted by Rosemary">Rosemary 2005-09-19 09:43|| http://mynewznideas.blogspot.com]">[http://mynewznideas.blogspot.com] 2005-09-19 09:43|| Front Page Top

#4 From DEBKA: All the pilgrimsâ routes to the Shiite shrine town of Karbala south of Baghdad have been secured by Shiite militias, in a show of sectarian muscle unprecedented hitherto in Iraq. Tuesday, Sept. 20, hundreds of thousands of Shiites will converge on Karbala for celebrations marking the birthday anniversary of the Imam Mahdi. Rather than relying on Iraqi national forces, the Badr and âWolvesâ Brigades, the militias of prime minister Ibrahim Jaafariâs Dawa party and even renegade Moqtada Sadrâs Mehdi Army, have joined forces to guard the routes to the city and the event. Last week, al Qaeda declared all-out war on Iraqâs Shiites. In recent weeks, hundreds have been slaughtered in terrorist attacks.

The Shiite militia deployment is an Iraqi milestone for three reasons:

1. They are all operating for the first time under a unified command, a tipping point in the evolution of a Shiite national army.

2. US and Iraqi national forces are leaving the Shiite militias a clear field, an indirect form of acceptance of evolving Shiite autonomous government.

3. Should Abu Musab al Zarqawi send his car bombers against the pilgrims, as he has in the past, the Shiite militias are poised to storm Sunni regions in the vicinity and exact vengeance. This would take Iraq a step closer to civil war.

Posted by Steve">Steve 2005-09-19 11:18|| 2005-09-19 11:18|| Front Page Top

#5 Are the Tater Tots any part of this militia?

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2005-09-19 11:56|| 2005-09-19 11:56|| Front Page Top

#6 I'm still not 100% sure that some autonomous Shiite militias don't serve a useful purpose if they defend their own and exact justice on these Baathist scumbags who still dream they'll run a country wherein they are a minority of a minority. As long as Tater's not in charge, I could see this as a step towards ending what is a slo-mo civil war rather than a slippery slope towards one.

Posted by JAB 2005-09-19 11:59|| 2005-09-19 11:59|| Front Page Top

00:03 Douglas Adams
00:02 john
23:57 11A5S
23:50 mac
23:49 Zhang Fei
23:46 Zhang Fei
23:44 Zhang Fei
23:44 jules 2
23:35 Alaska Paul
23:31 Redneck Jim
23:30 Zhang Fei
23:27 11A5S
23:26 john
23:20 john
23:20 thibaud (aka lex)
23:19 RWV
23:18 C-Low
23:16 C-Low
23:15 RWV
23:06 thibaud (aka lex)
23:05 Zhang Fei
23:04 RWV
23:03 thibaud (aka lex)
23:01 SteveS