Asia Times Najaf - Southern Shite and Sunni Arabs who do not support Shite Cleric al-Sistani

[OregonBlue]

are massacred.

Pilgrims massacred in the 'battle' of Najaf
By Dahr Jamail and Ali al-Fadhily
Feb 2, 2007

NAJAF, Iraq - Iraqi government statements over the killing of hundreds of Shi'ites in an attack on Sunday stand exposed by independent investigations carried out by Inter Press Service (IPS).

Many southern Shi'ite Arabs do not follow Iranian-born cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. They believe the religious leadership should be kept in the hands of Arab clerics. Hatami and al-Khazaali are two major tribes that do not follow Sistani. Tribal members from both believe the attack was launched by the central government of Baghdad to stifle growing Shi'ite-Sunni unity in the area.

But Khalil's office backed away from its initial claims after the dead turned out to be local Shi'ite Iraqis. Iraqi security officials continue to contradict their own statements. Most officials now say the dead were Shi'ite extremists supported by foreign powers.

The government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has a pattern of announcing it is fighting terrorists, like its backers in Washington. Many Iraqis in the south now accuse Baghdad of calling them terrorists simply because they refuse to collaborate with the Iranian-dominated government.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/IB02Ak04.html

It really is a civil war!!