Bremer: Pilgrims Face Danger if They Attend Shiite Festivals in Iraqi City

[demdave]

Bremer: Pilgrims Face Real Danger if They Attend Shiite Festivals in Iraqi Cities This Weekend


BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Pilgrims will face a "very real" threat of violence if they attend ceremonies to mark the al-Arbaeen holy day at Shiite shrines in southern Iraq, where militias have been battling coalition forces, the top U.S. administrator in the country said Thursday.
Millions of pilgrims had been expected to gather in Shiite cities this weekend to mark al-Arbaeen, the end of the 40-day mourning period for the 7th-century death in battle of their most beloved saint, Imam Hussein, grandson of Islam's Prophet Muhammad.

On March 2, at the start of the mourning period, Ashoura, simultaneous explosions ripped through crowds of worshippers at Shiite Muslim shrines in Baghdad and Karbala, killing at least 181.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGA902V4TSD.html
OOPS...forgot the link

Note: headline edited because AP headline writers get paid by the word. :)

[sniffa]

1. nice veiLed threat

weLL, more Like bLatant threat.

[readmylips]

2. Plastic Turney Bremer now wants to kill the Pilgrims....

Well, lordy, lordy. Maybe nasty Bremer should say to himself, I'm in the land of the Pilgrims, get me the hell out of here!

[Barrett808]

3. "limited capabilities" -- tacit admission of impotence?

"We and the Iraqi authorities will do all we can with limited capabilities to facilitate safety and security, but the pilgrims should make their individual judgments knowing that the dangers this year are very real," administrator L. Paul Bremer said in a statement.

[leftchick]

5. The Iraqis fear viceroy bremer and his thugs on the council..

Not their brothers now controling the Iraq Holy city...

[BrotherBuzz]

8. Did Bremer's lawyer write that line?

sounds like CYA boilerplating.

[CabalBuster]

4. Those pilgrims know how to fight, Bremer be prepared to be

"surprised" again. It is a religious duty in Islam to fight the invader of a holy site. This can get uglier and more deadly.

[plurality]

6. this has to do with a recent 'Al Qaeda' message

I saw Sanchez on BBC this morning talking about how Zarqawi sent a tape saying 'Al Qaeda' was planning on bombing al-Arbaeen festivals to try and split the Sunnis and Shia.

I don't see how anyone to hear this and continue to think that Al Qaeda is anything but the black ops arm of the US Govt. The US Govt is the only group that would benefit from splitting up the unifying Sunnis and Shi'ites. It would certainly not benefit an Islamic group intent on ending Western influence over the Muslim world. In fact to date, there has yet to be an 'Al Qaeda' attack that didn't help the US at the expense of the Muslim world.

[thebigidea]

7. Taste red hot freedom, Iraqi scum!

and this is different than Saddam HOW?

http://www.terminalproduct.com/capnpatriot.mp3