A unifying factor across Iraq (Analysis of Sadr's strategy, etc)

[mom cat]

THE ROVING EYE
A unifying factor across Iraq
By Pepe Escobar

"I advise the dictatorial, agent government to resign ... Iraqi people demand the resignation of the government ... they replaced Saddam with a government worse than him."
- Muqtada al-Sadr, August 13

Imagine a Muslim army about to bomb the Vatican with the help of a few Christian mercenaries while the Pope is away, recovering from an angioplasty in London and silent about the whole drama. This is roughly what is happening in Najaf, Iraq, where the forces of Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and the United States stand eyeball to eyeball pending a "final showdown".

First, let's take a look at where the main players currently stand. Contrary to widespread media perception, Muqtada is not a punk: he is probably one of the most popular figures in the complex Iraqi political spectrum, certainly at the grassroot Shi'ite level. During the first American siege of Najaf four months ago, his popularity was reported to be above 90%. The second-most popular figure in the country now may be Shi'ite religious eminence Grand Ayatollah al-Sistani, although he positions himself as apolitical. As for the American-imposed Prime Minister (over a virtual parliament) Iyad Allawi, his popularity would be somewhere in single-digit territory. He essentially represents no Iraqis.

Pierre-Jean Luizard, a researcher at the elite French think-tank CNRS and a Middle East specialist, believes that Muqtada may have been forced by events to occupy this crucial historic role and may not even be fully aware of the awesome implications; but today he offers to most Iraqis "the image of being the only one capable of unifying the country beyond communal divisions". No wonder that Muqtada has widely become an icon of Muslim resistance.

It's never enough to emphasize the crucial significance and the complex patterns of mythology, history and tradition embodied by the golden-domed Imam Ali Shrine in "Shi'ite Vatican" Najaf, around which the present fighting is centered. Besides the Shrine of Imam Ali, there are graves of other prophets of Allah - Prophet Adam and Prophet Noah. Abraham the patriarch and his son Isaac once bought land in Najaf in what is now called the Valley of Peace - none other than the gigantic Wadi al-Salaam, the world's largest cemetery, where a few hundred of Muqtada's Mehdi Army fighters are holed up fighting the Americans. Or, in many Muslim hearts and minds, where a Shi'ite resistance is fighting infidel troops.


http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/FH18Ak04.html

much more...

[bemildred]

1. Thanks, Pepe is always a good read. nt

[Rowdyboy]

2. Excellent piece....

You would have no idea of how bad the situation really is if you depended on the America media alone for your news.