Battle for Iraq's future in Najaf

[BlackJack8324]

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=551871

Donald Macintyre in Najaf

16 August 2004

Democracy was a long way from Najaf yesterday. As fighting resumed in the Shia holy city, Iyad Allawi's government moved to impose an authoritarian media clampdown before any full-scale assault on the holy sites which insurgents have made their base.

Peace talks aimed at ending a 10-day uprising in the city in which hundreds have died collapsed at the weekend, and after an uneasy truce during which US forces had loosened their noose around the mosque fighting was expected to resume.

And yesterday was to have been the day a battered nation embarked on the road to democracy. Would-be fathers of the new Iraq travelled to Baghdad for a conference intended to guide the country toward free elections next year. Even there though, in the heart of the capital, the harsh reality is that this is a country in chaos.

But for now, the roads from Baghdad do not lead to democracy. They lead to places such as Muthana province in the south of the country, where a Dutch soldier was killed and five others were wounded late on Saturday. They lead to places such as Najaf.

Despite indications that any full-scale assault in the city might await completion of the conference in Baghdad, most Arab television crews and other reporters left the city last night after armed police came to the Bar Najaf hotel, where nearly all foreign and Arab journalists are staying, to order them to leave for Baghdad. Journalists who protested were told: "You have been warned. You have two hours. If you don't leave you will be shot."

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1. 1st rule of a massacre: remove witnesses

This is a big, big mistake. Imam Ali Mosque = Tiananman Square