Another Ayatollah aide is killed in Basra

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Source: LA Times

BAGHDAD -- Gunmen killed an aide to Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani in the southern city of Basra, police said Saturday, the latest in a string of attacks targeting associates of Iraq's leading Shiite cleric.

The shooting Friday night was a sign of continuing tensions after clashes last week between Shiite militias. Police said Muslim Battat, an imam, was killed after evening prayers at a central Basra mosque.

The Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, the country's largest Shiite political group, claims allegiance to Sistani, which has put its followers at odds with those loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada Sadr.

More than 50 people were killed Tuesday in fighting between the militias of the two Shiite groups in the southern city of Karbala, which raised fear of all-out warfare.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraq2sep02,1,2380332.story?track=rss&ctrack=3&cset=true

[Adsos Letter]

1. Just remember...

...it's not a civil war...merely internalized "unpleasantness"..."my word, henny penny, golly gee, democracy is messy, freedom is beautiful and free people are free to make mistakes" and all that... Just get our guys the hell out of the middle of it!!!

[kestrel91316]

2. Let me guess - this guy is the "#2 man at Al Qaeda" (again), right?

[spag68]

3. Wait a minute

I'm sure it wasn't al Sadr, as it was reported last week that all his followers were told to not shoot any one for a while<6 months I think>, and we believe it, don't we?

[bemildred]

4. The story is full of shit in that regard.

SCIRI and the Mahdi Army are indeed in a power struggle, but it has nothing to do with al Sistani particularly. Both groups assert their reverence for al Sistani. Al Sistani's problem stems from his cooperation with and support of the US occupation, which has caused certain "insurgent groups" to become disenchanted with him.