Peace breaks out. War surrenders!

August 25, 2004 7:13 AM

Peace breaks out. War surrenders! Grand Ayatollah Sistani has returned to Iraq, and is leading a nationwide march to the holy city of Najaf to peacefully resolve the conflict. Moqtada al-Sadr's people have called upon their supporters to join the march too. Will Sadr and his Mahdi Army walk away free men? Double secret probation, maybe?!
posted by insomnia_lj (4 comments total)

I'd love it if it were true, but al-Sadr's had more lines drawn for him than a book of Hirshfeld cartoons. And for some reason when I think of easing tension with a radical religious leader, bringing in a SECOND one won't really solve things.
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 7:42 AM on August 25, 2004

sadr has played a reasonably smart game. it's the old khomeni tactic: never compromise. by the time all the others have become 'tainted' by involvement with the puppet goverment, only he will stand apart.

sistani has kept his head down and mouth shut. finally, after much urging, he issues a statement.

it's a good idea, on his part as it takes the issue out of the hands of the iraq government and the US.
posted by quarsan at 8:03 AM on August 25, 2004

Does this mean Sadr can open his newspaper back up?

And if so, can he freely make comments that are perhaps not in total accord with the directives of Paul Bremer?

Geez, the things Bremer wanted to kill people for in Iraq!

Good thing we have a former CIA operative running the puppet "government" now, huh? Especially since he once specialized in car bombing the enemies of the CIA!

Sistani will prevail and the neocon wet dream land is gone. Let's let him bring some peace and stability to the country and get our troops the hell out of there. Even if PP doesn't like it.
posted by nofundy at 9:05 AM on August 25, 2004

it's getting more complicated ... and sistani may be ready to play his hand, whatever that may be ... meanwhile, i'm wondering something ... the us says that only iraqi troops would attempt to capture the mosque ... but are 500, as the article says, really enough? ... perhaps with the 2,000 marines participating

tactically, it's a won situation ... stategically, i think it's extremely tricky ... and with thousands of pilgrims coming, it's going to be less controllable
posted by pyramid termite at 9:11 AM on August 25, 2004