The U.S. is sabotaging stability in Iraq

[bemildred]

Interesting take on recent events.

---

But make no mistake: This is not the "civil war" that Washington has been
predicting will break out between Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds. Rather, it is a
war provoked by the U.S. occupation authority and waged by its forces
against the growing number of Shiites who support Muqtada al-Sadr.

Mr. al-Sadr is the younger, more radical rival of the Grand Ayatollah Ali
al-Sistani, portrayed by his adoring supporters as a kind of cross between
Ayatollah Khomaini and Che Guevara. He blames the U.S. for attacks on
civilians, compares U.S. occupation chief Paul Bremer to Saddam
Hussein, aligns himself with Hamas and Hezbollah and has called for a
jihad against the controversial interim constitution. His Iraq might look a
lot like Iran.

And it's a message with a market. With Ayatollah al-Sistani concentrating
on lobbying the United Nations rather than on confronting the U.S.-led
occupation in the streets, many Shiites are growing restless, and are
turning to the more militant tactics preached by Mr. al-Sadr. Some have
joined the Mahdi, Muqtada's black-clad army, which claims hundreds of
thousands of members.

At first, Mr. Bremer responded to Mr. al-Sadr's growing strength by
ignoring him; now he is attempting to provoke him into all-out battle.

Globe and mail

[radwriter0555]

1. well yeah, they need an excuse to stay in iraq....

that makes the most sense for these PNACers.

[Emboldened Chimp]

9. And, of course, this helps the push towards Armageddon, too

:eyes:

[kysrsoze]

14. Everytime I see the word 'Armageddon' I think how ridiculous it is...

then I realize how serious those freaks are about the idea. I'm just astounded at the stupidity of some people in this world. Oh well, bring on the four horsemen.

[ithacan]

15. go here

and you'll see how serious they are :scared:

http://www.TheocracyWatch.org/

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Yes interseting indeed

but I still say we are walkign blind... really blind

And Bremmer has NO CLUE what he is seeing

[bemildred]

6. To be sure it is one thing to theorize about what they

are up to, and another entirely to posit that they know
what they are about. My own sense is that Bremer et. al. lost
the initiative last Friday or thereabouts and are trying to
get it back, meanwhile working on their PR strategy, which is
what is discussed here. It would seem from Mr. al Sadr's
statement that he has no intention of any further direct
confrontations, it will be guerilla conflict from here on
out. I am still waiting to see the SAM and ATW and such
come into play. It's going to be an interesting week, and
I fear for our troops being used as cannon fodder in this
show. The news about more troops being called for is indicative
too, it means at least that they have abandoned to old agenda
of "turning over" control of a nominally peaceful Iraq in June.
That being so I do expect that they will try to stir up a bloody
mess so that they can duck responsibility for the situation.
It will be interesting to see if the Iraqis are suckered by that
or if the maintain their discipline.

[ithacan]

16. "turning over control" was always a sham

because the US military fully intends to stay on and be in charge of the Iraqi military forces!

But you're right, the sham won't be able to go forward the way they'd planned.

[bloom]

3. It was bad

when our troops encouraged looting by the Iraqis...


If they, in fact, encourage a civil war, well.....:puke:

[leftchick]

al-Sistani has now refused to even talk to the UN or viceroy bremer

That happened last Thursday or Friday. He has not condemned what Sadr has been doing this weekend by the way, which may be why Sadr's following has grown exponentially in just a few days.

[IndianaGreen]

10. Al-Sistani is the only one with the authority to issue a fatwa against the

Occupation. I predict that one is coming soon.

[not systems]

4. That fits with that tool Biden suggesting...

Iraq is not ready for self rule this weekend.

[maddezmom]

5. exactly what I said earlier in another thread

it seems to be part of the grand plan

[Chicago Democrat]

7. This is exactly the correct view of the Sadr situation (eom)

[nolabels]

8. "Trust in God, but tie your camel. (Old Persian proverb)";

"The devil has the broadest perspectives for God; therefore he keeps so far away from God---the devil being the most ancient friend of wisdom. -Nietzsche"

"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. (Voltaire)";

"Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it. ~Buddha"

http://www.miniluv.com/mt/mt-comments.cgi?entry_id=471

[Hell Hath No Fury]

11. Proactive, Preemptive Operations Group (P2OG)...

http://www.counterpunch.org/floyd1101.html

This al-Sadr situation sounds JUST up their alley:

"This astonishing admission was buried deep in a story which was itself submerged by mounds of gray newsprint and glossy underwear ads in last Sunday's Los Angeles Times. There--in an article by military analyst William Arkin, detailing the vast expansion of the secret armies being massed by the former Nixon bureaucrat now lording it over the Pentagon--came the revelation of Rumsfeld's plan to create "a super-Intelligence Support Activity" that will "bring together CIA and military covert action, information warfare, intelligence, and cover and deception." ......

According to a classified document prepared for Rumsfeld by his Defense Science Board, the new organization--the "Proactive, Preemptive Operations Group (P2OG)"--will carry out secret missions designed to "stimulate reactions" among terrorist groups, provoking them into committing violent acts which would then expose them to "counterattack" by U.S. forces.

In other words--and let's say this plainly, clearly and soberly, so that no one can mistake the intention of Rumsfeld's plan--the United States government is planning to use "cover and deception" and secret military operations to provoke murderous terrorist attacks on innocent people. Let's say it again: Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, George W. Bush and the other members of the unelected regime in Washington plan to deliberately foment the murder of innocent people--your family, your friends, your lovers, you--in order to further their geopolitical ambitions."

[aquart]

12. Uh huh.

Once again, I find this to be a colonialist mentality. Those poor backward Iraqis don't have the brains to think of doing this themselves, so, since it suits our interests, we will manipulate them into doing it.

It is also a fatal illusion of control.

[IndianaGreen]

13. "I heard the sound of freedom... It sounds like machine-gun fire."

Paul Bremer fired all 400,000 members of Iraq's army, most of which were not supporters of Saddam.

Bremer closed down the newspaper, but he also closed down other newspapers.

Bremer barred Al-Jazeera for a month.

Bremer is the evil one.