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WAR: Top Iraq Cleric in London

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posted on Aug, 7 2004 @ 09:28 AM
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With all of the trouble occuring between Sadr's Shia militia and US forces in Najaf, nobody seems to have noticed that one of the highest ranking Shia clerics has arrived in the UK. This story really hasn't made major news and it could have deep ramifications.

 



news.bbc.co.uk
Iraq's most influential Shia leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, has arrived in London to be treated for a heart condition.
A spokesman for the ayatollah said he was very tired after flying via Beirut and would be resting.
The ayatollah lives in the holy city of Najaf and has been receiving treatment from cardiologists.
But aides have said they fear the violence in Najaf could hamper his access to proper medical care.


Please visit the link provided for the complete story.


What I find interesting is the timing here. Sistani is out of his country and out of Najaf at a very delicate time. Of course, I'm not saying that his heart problems are fraudulent, but as one of the main spiritual leaders of the Shia (if not the main), it does seem suspicious that he is out of the way whilst Najaf is currently suffering it's greatest problems since June.

Although reclusive, Sistani has been able to direct the mainstream Shia away from attacking coalition forces. With him out of the way, Sadr may have free reign and be able to gain more popular support. On the other hand, it is possible that the coalition forces will now have the power to act more firmly than they could have done with Sistani on the scene.

The choice of London as the treatment centre for the aging Iraqi cleric also opens the door to other questions. Sistani's liason office in London mentions his poor health but says nothing of his travelling to the UK.

Related News Links:
www.najaf.org

[edit on 8-7-2004 by Valhall]



posted on Aug, 7 2004 @ 09:42 AM
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This story has just appeared on the BBC frontpage.

news.bbc.co.uk...



posted on Aug, 7 2004 @ 11:12 AM
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Well let's see,

'My cousin is my enemy, the enemy of my cousin, is now my enemy.' Old Arab expression, probably from the original crusades. At any rate our administration and it's tactics of got the Shia stirred up and there are allot of them
And you must know they have good reason to dislike America, after all we encouraged them to revolt against Saddam and they did. With no support from us, actually we gave Saddam permission to use his helicopter gunships to surrpress the revolution. As I remember the estimate was 100,000 Shia killed. And I am sure the Shia have bad feelings about the Commander and Chief that allowed Saddam to use those gun ships. And I am sure there are at least 10,000,000 Shia that have cause to bear a grudge and they are just waiting for a go sign from ALLAH to drive
the Infidel from their Holy Land.
We have 140,000 troops most of them in the Suni Triangle with their hands full. Hate to say it but it sure sounds like Custer's Little Big Horn. And we do not have one diplomatic ace in the hole and our military admits they are
looking for 80,000 volunteer soldiers to pick up the slack in our Army. If an uprising of the Sunni and Shia Nations should occur. We would have to bend over and kiss the arses of 140,000 men.goodbye There is an alternative that I can think we could send in 5 or 6 carrier groups and commit genocide and wipe out about 5 or 6 million of them. That would even the odds a little.
Oh, I just came up with a better idea
Have a military coup and arrest the entire Administration and GH Bush, and the members of the PNAC, and Carlye Group. So what do we have their 50 or 1000 people. The military
requests a truce in order to evacuate our soldiers from Iraq. And in return we will turn over the afore mentioned arrested people who engineered this whole bad idea. That sounds sounds like a good trade. They might even go for it.
That's the end
Goodnight,

Tututhanken


[edit on 7-8-2004 by tututkamen]



posted on Aug, 7 2004 @ 02:19 PM
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Seems the Iraqi Government has requested a truce and though they are powerless they offer amnesty to those who probably do not want it. I wonder who came up with that idea, probably the same guy that decided
to ban al Jezera from Iraq. Like they can't fabricate truth and broadcast from somewhere else. What a futile expression of strength and governmental power. At any rate a bartering option has been extended. I am sure they will negotiate after the military forces of the Infidels claim to have killed 300.

TUT

By Nadim Ladki
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's prime minister announced a limited amnesty for Iraqi insurgents on Saturday and extended an olive branch to radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose loyalists have staged an uprising in several cities. etc.......

www.reuters.com...;jsessionid=JAQS214YEUDNGCRBAE0CFEY?type=worldNews&storyID=5902513



posted on Aug, 8 2004 @ 04:39 AM
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Now the U.N. seems concerened about the level of hand to hand combat in the Holy City. Maybe they read my post



UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations offered its help on Saturday to try to stop some of the worst fighting seen in Iraq in about four months between Shi'ite militiamen and coalition forces. Full Article www.reuters.com...



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