Top Iraqi Shiite Cleric Is Inching Toward a Coalition

cal04

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Tue Dec-19-06 11:41 PM
Original message

Top Iraqi Shiite Cleric Is Inching Toward a Coalition

Iraq�s most venerated Shiite cleric has tentatively approved an American-backed coalition of Shiite, Sunni Arab and Kurdish parties that aims to isolate extremists, particularly the powerful Shiite militia leader Moktada al-Sadr, Iraqi and Western officials say.

Since the fall of Saddam Hussein the cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, has been the spiritual custodian of Shiite political dominance in Iraq, corralling the fractious Shiite parties into an alliance to rule the country.

But Ayatollah Sistani has grown increasingly distressed as the Shiite-led government has proved incapable of taming the violence and improving public services, Shiite officials say. He now appears to be backing away from his demand that the Shiite bloc play the dominant political role and that it hold together at all costs, Iraqi and Western officials say.

(snip)
American officials have been told by intermediaries that Ayatollah Sistani �has blessed the idea of forming a moderate front,� according to a senior American official. �We wouldn�t have gotten this far without his support.�

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/20/world/middleeast/20sistani.html?hp&ex=1166590800&en=75cf3747702ac9de&ei=5094&partner=homepage

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LynnTheDem

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Tue Dec-19-06 11:45 PM
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1. Except the wee fact that

al Sistani really doesn't have much political pull anymore.

Hasn't had for the past 3 years.

Ah well.

We've lost & Iraq will continue spiraling deeper into hell. All courtesy of george "wanker" bush; stupidest MFer ever hatched.

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rodeodance

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Tue Dec-19-06 11:50 PM
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2. won't these American backed coalitions have to be elected??

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countmyvote4real

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Wed Dec-20-06 12:00 AM
Response to Reply #2

4. Elections are about who COUNTS the votes.

It's not really a "purple thumb" thing, it's more how upset the electorate will be when judges rule that 18K under votes will not be counted. We're still waiting on the outcome of that Florida election, but I'm sure that the reaction will not be as volatile as it should.

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antiimperialist

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Tue Dec-19-06 11:58 PM
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3. Great idea: Piss off Al Sadr even more

There are no good ideas. It's over. The only great idea was not to mess with a country that posed no threat for us.

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xchrom

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Wed Dec-20-06 04:42 AM
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5. hmmmmm????

a senior American official. �We wouldn�t have gotten this far without his support.�

with support like that......

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Disturbed

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Wed Dec-20-06 06:24 AM
Response to Reply #5

6. If al Sadr was smart he would call for a Coalition with

the Sunni Insurgency and ask the Sunnis and Shiites to stop killing each other. He has called for peace with the Sunnis in the past year.

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xchrom

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Wed Dec-20-06 06:39 AM
Response to Reply #6

7. indeed he has.

al sadr has also been brought back under the influence of ali al sistani at various times within the last three years.

it's reluctance to deal with him consistantly that drives him back out of the fold.

he has his own influence and it should be recognized.

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Eugene

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Wed Dec-20-06 06:54 PM
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8. AP: Cleric (Sadr) Weighs 1-Month Cease-Fire in Iraq

Cleric Weighs 1-Month Cease-Fire in Iraq

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA
The Associated Press
Wednesday, December 20, 2006; 6:03 PM

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who heads a militia feared
by Iraq's Sunnis, is considering a one-month unilateral cease-fire and may push his
followers to rejoin the political process after a three-week boycott, officials close
to him said Wednesday.

The issue is expected to come up at a meeting Thursday in the holy city of Najaf
between al-Sadr and a delegation representing the seven Shiite groups that form the
largest bloc in Iraq's parliament, the Shiite officials said on condition of anonymity
because of the secrecy of the talks.

In perhaps an even more important session, the delegation will also sit down with
the country's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. Officials from several
factions confirmed the planned trip to Najaf.

The visit is intended to allow the Shiite bloc, the United Iraqi Alliance, to work out
some of Iraq's biggest political obstacles in front of al-Sistani, and to pressure
al-Sadr to rein in his fighters and rejoin politics _ or face isolation, participants
said.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/20/AR2006122001338.html

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Javaman

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Thu Dec-21-06 10:23 AM
Response to Original message

9. My isn't this a hopeful turn of events...

Edited on Thu Dec-21-06 10:23 AM by Javaman

Yeah, this will work wonderfully. call me kooky, but it sounds like more of that inspire rhetoric that moron* spews out on a daily basis.

When last we left the iraqi civil chaos, everyone was against the Sunni's, now everyone is against sadr. And since Sadr is basically funded by Iran, look at this as the first rumblings to cross the border to kill off his suppliers. (note the second carrier group going to the gulf) Also note that this rings eerily of the precursors in the days before the U.S. started their secret bombing missions into Cambodia and Laos.

Weeeeee! isn't retro history fun????

I'm so tired of monkey* politics.

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