Archived material Access restricted Article
Rantburg

Today's Front Page   View All of Fri 02/24/2006 View Thu 02/23/2006 View Wed 02/22/2006 View Tue 02/21/2006 View Mon 02/20/2006 View Sun 02/19/2006 View Sat 02/18/2006
1
2006-02-24 Iraq
Shrine attack deals blow to anti-US unity
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 lotp 2006-02-24 08:12|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07]  Top

#1 Muqty is talking pro-Sunni, but i heard somewhere in the MSM that its mainly his guys who are doing the reprisals. Im not sure whats really going with him.
Posted by liberalhawk 2006-02-24 10:31||   2006-02-24 10:31|| Front Page Top

#2 He's taking out competitors and he really doesn't cre what brand they are.
Posted by Nimble Spemble 2006-02-24 10:46||   2006-02-24 10:46|| Front Page Top

#3 "The aim of these people in Iran is to establish a chain of anti-US resistance groups that will take the offensive before the West makes its expected move against Tehran."

The invasion of Iraq in 2002 was described (I believe) by Victor Davis Hanson as the longest telegraphed punch in the history of warfare, giving Saddam all kinds of time to prepare, misdirect, and stash whatever he wished.

Too bad the lesson wasn't learned while dealing with Iran.
Posted by Hyper">Hyper  2006-02-24 11:43||   2006-02-24 11:43|| Front Page Top

#4 The bombing of the shrine was terrible, but its def. going to completely bacfire on al qaeda. They are unfortunately brutal but fortunately stupid. When your group is too radical for al-sadr thats saying something. I think in the end this attack is going to unite the sunnis and shites against the terrorists. BTW You would never ever read an article like this from the associated press.
Posted by bgrebel 2006-02-24 14:13||   2006-02-24 14:13|| Front Page Top

#5 FWIW, John Batchelor (radio guy who posts at spectator.org) says his sources indicate Iran was involved.

I am skeptical of his sources, and would welcome comments. His thesis is that Iran is not waiting for us to attack but is instead trying to turn Iraq into chaos to prevent us from doing anything there.

Among his tidbits of evidence is that the explosives were placed so as not to harm the tombs in the shrine, just the dome. Not sure if this is checkable here.
Posted by JAB 2006-02-24 14:53||   2006-02-24 14:53|| Front Page Top

#6 I don't believe this at all....

Try this instead...

1) Zarq is the main suspect
2) Zark has ties support from Iran
3) The main retaliation, per Iraqi blogger Zayed seems to be pushed by Mucky Sadr
4) Mucky is in Iran's pocket.

I think it possible, verging on probable, that the blast is a strategic initiative by Iran to cause enough civil war in Iraq to fracture it allowing them to pick up the Shiite portion around Basra, which is oil-rich and contains the best access to the sea.
Posted by Mercutio 2006-02-24 15:07||   2006-02-24 15:07|| Front Page Top

#7 "I ordered the [Imam] al-Mehdi Army to protect the Shi'ite and Sunni shrines and to show a high sense of responsibility, something they actually did."

BS. His "black clad al-Mehdi Army is up to it's hips in the current attacks on Sunni practitioners.
Posted by Mahou Sensei Negi-bozu 2006-02-24 17:12||   2006-02-24 17:12|| Front Page Top

#8 Tomb of the Prophet? I thought he was assumed bodily into heaven or something like that. Isn't that the whole and sum of why Jerusalem is important to Muslims?
Posted by Mitch H.">Mitch H.  2006-02-24 17:49|| http://blogfonte.blogspot.com/]">[http://blogfonte.blogspot.com/]  2006-02-24 17:49|| Front Page Top

#9 ...longest telegraphed punch in the history of warfare, giving Saddam all kinds of time to prepare, misdirect, and stash whatever he wished.

Too bad the lesson wasn't learned while dealing with Iran.

While I wish we could be more covert, with today's instant communications and the need for political backing for any such move, it's virtually impossible not to telegraph our punches.
Posted by Xbalanke 2006-02-24 17:53||   2006-02-24 17:53|| Front Page Top

23:44 .com
23:42 Frank G
23:41 Frank G
23:40 smn
23:21 twobyfour
23:11 trailing wife
23:10 trailing wife
23:07 .com
23:06 .com
23:03 C-Low
23:02 trailing wife
22:58 Barbara Skolaut
22:53 Fred
22:51 trailing wife
22:49 CrazyFool
22:44 Bill Nelson
22:42 Vinkat Bala Subrumanian
22:41 Omavith Gleatle8151
22:38 Frank G
22:35 mojo
22:34 Vinkat Bala Subrumanian
22:31 Frank G
22:29 Alaska Paul
22:28 Frank G









Paypal:
Google
Search WWW Search rantburg.com