Bush stumbles in Iraq - Sam Hamod

President Bush has opened Pandora's box with his policies in Iraq. Administrator L. Paul Bremer and Bush have accomplished something that no one has been able to do in Iraq since the 7th century: unite the Sunni and Shi'a ---- against America and its coalition partners.

The head of the opposition is Muqtadr Al Sadr, heir to a religious family, whose father fought Saddam Hussein until Saddam had him assassinated. Sadr criticized Bremer's occupation policies in his newspaper, Hawaz. So Bremer closed the newspaper, to the dismay of those who thought that America believed in freedom of the press.

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Experts on Iraq had warned that the U.S. should not antagonize the Shi'a majority. If U.S. attacks continue into Najaf or Karbala, Shi'a holy cities, there will be hell to pay.

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America is sending our National Guard overseas. We are in a dire situation that is getting worse. For every Iraqi killed, an extended family will be honor-bound to fight the American troops, to kill or be killed. This is no way to spread democracy, nor is it fair to put our soldiers in this immoral situation.

American leaders must realize that the Iraqis are not dummies or cowards; they have fought thousands of years of wars: against the Mongols, the Ottomans, the English, Saddam and now the Americans. Sistani is a wise old attorney, Sadr an outspoken orator, and the Sunni leaders are very savvy.

Bush and Bremer have failed to grasp that Iraqis are willing to die for their religion and for their country. These new assaults on Baghdad, Fallujah and Najaf will simply fuel the fire that will end up burning America. If Sadr or Sistani dies during the resistance, their spirits will tower over an inferno in Iraq.

Sam Hamod of San Marcos is former director of an Islamic center in Washington, D.C.


http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2004/04/12/opinion/4_11_0420_53_48.txt

the danger they have put us in. Impeach! Impeach! Impeach!