Shiite Group Plans Militia to Protect Holy Sites From G.I.'s

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/16/international/worldspecial/16IRAQ.html?ex=1061611200&en=0c8a741df51dc112&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 15 — The most combative group of Shiite Muslims announced during their main prayer sermon today that they would proceed with a proposal to form their own militia to safeguard holy sites from any transgressions by American troops.

More than 3,000 of the faithful flooded one of the dusty main thoroughfares in Sadr City, a predominately Shiite slum in Baghdad, to hear the prayer leader, Sheik Abdel Hadi al-Daraji, denounce the American forces, accusing them of defiling sacred places after an incident on Wednesday in which an American Black Hawk helicopter forced down a flag near a Sadr City mosque.

"Yesterday Saddam the infidel used to assault our sacred sites and especially the people of this holy city," Sheik Daraji said. "Now the Americans are doing the same thing. So what is the difference between Saddam and America?"

The sheik also belittled America's ability to improve the lives of Iraqis, who get about 10 hours of electricity a day in Baghdad.

He hinted that the United States might be selling Iraq's electricity elsewhere, perhaps to Israel, and led the crowd in special prayers to ask God to provide power 24 hours a day.

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[PurityOfEssence]

1. Step 1

Does anyone else think religious war in Iraq is an inevitability?

We're not going to give up power. Figureheads aside, de facto power will remain in U.S. hands. This will not sit well forever.

[indictrichardperle]

2. i think if the Shia join the fight

the shit has hit the fan. Rather than fight the Sunni in a power struggle, they will actually have a common enemy.

In a widely reported story the other day, an Iraqi shia was quoted as saying "(if the americans continue to anger us)..the entire US army will become our prisoner". I dont underestimate these people.

[lindashaw]

3. Yes! And we were warned going in that it would come to that!

[IndianaGreen]

4. The Shiites are right on two counts

what is the difference between Saddam and America?

The US wants Sadamnism without Saddam, and according to Bibi Netanyahu and his neocon friends in the Pentagon, the US intends to reopen a pipeline to ship oil through Jordan into Israel.