US stoking unrest before festival, say Shia

[IndianaGreen]

After I read this article, I became fearful that our trigger-happy, stressed out, and "Go" pill popping GIs may open fire on Shia pilgrims going to Kerbala or Najaf for the Feast of Arbain.

:scared:

US stoking unrest before festival, say Shia
By Patrick Cockburn in Sadr City, Baghdad
08 April 2004

"The Americans are just as bad as Saddam Hussein," said Hamid al-Ugily, the leader of six men from Sadr city carrying a green flag who are spending two to three days walking to Kerbala. "We think they will attack Muqtada in Najaf. We will defend our religious leaders."

What is menacing for the US is that all of the men marching to Kerbala, something they once did secretly under Saddam Hussein, are soldiers in the Iraqi Civil Defence Corps (ICDC). This paramilitary body, created by the Coalition Provisional Authority, is set to take over duties currently undertaken by the American soldiers.

Abbas, one of the marchers, said: "I have been in the ICDC one year and the Americans didn't do anything for Iraq." The friction between US soldiers and Iraqi Shias, some 15-16 million of the 25 million population, is becoming more intense by the day.

On another road into Baghdad another group of Shia pilgrims about a hundred strong from the town of Dejali were being detained and forced to sit on the ground by heavily armed US soldiers who were eyeing their green flags with suspicion.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=509579

[countmyvote4real]

1. Here's my riff on the miserable failure. (satire follows)

The US intended to hand over democracy to their Iraqi step-child, but in a flip-flop of Kerry-on-steroid proportions will concede to a Taliban style theocracy in order to stop the violence with some meaningful local authority. While the new theocracy will not be received well by all, it is more likely to bring about the stability of the recently toppled dictatorship of Saddam Hussein.

After invading Iraq in pursuit of WMDs still yet to be found, the US believes that the new government will finally establish a real link between Iraq and terrorists bent on destroying the US. In a sign of goodwill, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, offered some real WMDs to retain the exclusive control of Iraq’s oil that the US obtained by the initial invasion.

While some in the US administration grudgingly admit the faults of the first invasion, others are more hopeful for subsequent attempts at a successful new offensive. With the rights to Iraq’s oil firmly secured by this agreement, nobody can claim the next invasion will be motivated by the pursuit of oil resources. Plus, by applying the history of a post-Soviet Afghanistan, the US hopes that once and for all it can establish a link between Iraq and terrorist organizations.

The delivery point of the agreed upon US supplied WMDs will be disclosed to the UN security council and revealed to CNN, MSNBC and FOX NEWS partners two weeks prior to the next invasion date. In addition, 1-800-FLOWERS and FTD have signed on to ensure that no shortage of flowers will be available this time to bestow on the liberating forces. After that, there are no firm plans.

When pressed about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, the US spokes-model declined to offer any insight until the Iraq conflict was firmly resolved, however long that may take.