STORM2K

Annoying and huge Pro-Hez marches in Iraq today.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060804/D8J9JIL82.html

Hundreds of thousands of Shiites chanting "Death to Israel" and "Death to America" marched through the streets of Baghdad's biggest Shiite district Friday in a massive show of support for Hezbollah in its battle against Israel.

Even though this is related to the Israel-Lebanon War I'm seperating this news out from the Israel-Lebanon thread out of courtesy for those discussing the War in that thread.

This is bad, BAD news ... probably a sign of much WORSE things to come. This appears to be a Sadr-sponsored event (regardless of whether the man himself showed up or not) and is probably evidence of increasing support for Sadr's hard-line Shi'ite fringe. The Shi'ites are NOT happy with our strong support for Israel against Hizbollah (at the expense of Lebanon) and are leaning towards whatever faction is willing to stand up and state their displeasure.

Ayatollah Sistani (the more moderate Shi'ite who has qietly tolerated us in the past) has been trying to play catch-up with this one in order to secure his popularity and power - just last week he issued a statement to us that amounted to "cease fire, OR ELSE." He has to - if he doesn't do SOMETHING, the Shi'ites will flock en masse to Sadr, and his influence will be gone.

If pressure to defend Hizbollah continues to rise in Iraq (and I see no reason why it wouldn't), Sistani will be forced to make good on that "or else." Odds are good that will mean a Shi'ite fatwa ordering the fighting (and perhaps killing) of US troops in Iraq.

If that happens, we will not only be fighting the Sunni radicals (there are some 4 million Sunnis in Iraq) - we will be fighting the majority of the Shi'ite population, which is 15 million strong. Our men and women will be sitting ducks. Its a scary thought, if it happens...

(Just my reading of the situation... )

I don't see a good outcome from this either. I think that the area is just prime for an all out war, no matter what anyone on the outside tries to do, IMHO.

If we lose the Shi'ites, American power is decimated in Iraq and the Middle East generally. Iran gains an important ally.

Hizbollah shows the Iranian's ability to confront asymetrical conflict. They might not be able to fight the United States on an open field of battle, but they can erase years of progress by dispersing orders and funds.

I wonder if these demonstrations would continue if the media weren't filming. I wish they would quit giving air time to terrorists.

Are you saying that the hundreds of thousands marching in support of Hizbollah are terrorists? Just trying to clarify.

It looks like a ceasefire agreement is being made in the UN led by the U.S. and France. Ayatollah Sistani's threat to turn shiites in S. Iraq against the U.S. likely had something to do with the U.S. being in a hurry to shut down the Israel-Lebanon conflict.

Oh well, so much for the "peacefully marching in support of Lebanon" nonsense or whatever we were supposed to believe.

well, isnt that what democracy is all about? being able to express yourself without fear of reprisals?

alicia-w wrote:well, isnt that what democracy is all about? being able to express yourself without fear of reprisals?

Democracy would be that, but for democracy or rather representative government to actually exist there must be institutions which ensure that the law is made through legitimate channels and carried out effectively. In Iraq one cannot actually express anything without fear of reprisals.

But the big question is whether we have any idea what the will of the people over there is, and whether it would be better to bribe and arm a dictatorship. That has been the standard policy of the United States until recent times over in that part of the world.

But the big question is whether we have any idea what the will of the people over there is, and whether it would be better to bribe and arm a dictatorship.

I agree with you on this whole heartedly. I cant help but wonder if our govt ever figured on the democracy of Iraq not agreeing with us on issues like this.

Where are the flowers and boxes of chocolates being thrown at the "liberating" force? We were told that was what was going to occur.

Instead, we have chants of "death to Israel, death to America" by hundreds of thousands of these "liberated" people.

Oh and also this timeless quote by someone who I'll keep nameless:
"The war in Iraq could last 6 weeks, 2 months, I doubt 6 months."