Leaders of Iraq praise Iranian-trained militia

[psychopomp]

Leaders of Iraq praise Iranian-trained militia - Africa & Middle East - International Herald Tribune

Leaders of Iraq praise Iranian-trained militia
By Edward Wong The New York Times

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2005
BAGHDAD In a move certain to inflame sectarian tensions, Iraq's Shiite and Kurdish leaders said Wednesday that they supported the existence of an Iranian-trained Shiite militia and praised the militia's role in trying to secure the country.

It was the first time the new Iraqi government has publicly backed an armed group that was created along sectarian lines and it was an implicit denial of repeated requests by U.S. officials that the government disband all militias.

The widening sectarian rift was further underscored Wednesday when Sunni Arab leaders demanded that a 55-member constitutional committee dominated by Shiites and Kurds add at least 25 Sunni seats to the committee. The Sunnis said they wanted those seats to have full membership powers.

-snip

The remarks supporting the Shiite militia were made in the morning at an unusual news conference where speakers included Ibrahim al-Jaafari, the Iraqi prime minister and a Shiite Arab; Jalal Talabani, the Kurdish president and a militia leader himself, and Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the Shiite political party that created the Shiite militia, known as the Badr Organization.

-more

(In recent weeks, some Sunni Arab leaders have vociferously blamed the Badr militia for the murders of prominent Sunni clerics. )

http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/06/09/news/iraq.php

[LynnTheDem]

1. EXACTLY the last thing bush wanted; EXACTLY what all experts warned of

EXACTLY what all experts said would happen.

EXACTLY what bush said would "not be allowed" to happen.


Remember this, when we have to "liberate" the Iraqis from the oppressive murderous SHIA AND KURD regime.

[psychopomp]

2. Yeah I think this a real sign of FUBAR

We need to keep Al-Sistani in our corner to prevent a wider anti-US insurgency but to do so only deepens the sectarian violence.

[Cocoa]

3. that's just the public pose

the reality is the "Salvador Option," which I'm sure is well underway regardless of their supposedly ruling it out.

And yes, this will blowback big time, no doubt about it.

[Rex]

4. Iran wants to pay us back for the Iraq/Iran war.

Looks like they are going to get a chance. :(

[Cocoa]

5. Iraqi leaders praise group accused of killings

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/06/08/iraq.badr/

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraqi government officials have publicly supported a Shiite organization charged by many Sunni leaders with responsibility in the murders of their clerics and other notables.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari paid tribute Wednesday to the contribution of the Badr Organization and backed the group taking on a greater and more formal role maintaining Iraqi security.

Other Sunni leaders were quick with praise for the organization and said the group "should be part of the political process."

"You and your (Kurdish) brothers are the heroes of liberating Iraq," Talabani said, addressing a conference at the headquarters for the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI).

more…

[merwin]

6. Freedom on the march!

[Supersedeas]

8. thank you IRAN - democracy is hard werk, ain't it!!!

[psychopomp]

7. kick

[DeepModem Mom]

9. NYT,pg1,lead: Leaders of Iraq Back Militias, Widening Rift With Sunnis

Leaders of Iraq Back Militias, Widening Rift With Sunnis
By EDWARD WONG
Published: June 9, 2005


BAGHDAD, Iraq, June 8 - The rift between the Iraqi government and hostile Sunni Arabs widened further on Wednesday as the country's leaders came out in support of ethnic and sectarian militias that Sunnis fear could be used against them.

Top Sunni Arab leaders also demanded that a 55-member committee that is to begin writing a new constitution add at least 25 Sunni seats with full voting powers. There was no immediate response from the Shiite-led committee, but in recent days its members have proposed adding 12 to 15 nonvoting seats for Sunni Arabs.

The announcement regarding militias was the first time the new government had publicly backed armed ethnic and sectarian groups, and it was an implicit rebuke to American officials, who have repeatedly asked that the government disband all militias in the country. The largest militias are the Kurdish pesh merga and an Iranian-trained Shiite militia that Sunni leaders have blamed for attacks against them.

The remarks were made at a morning news conference that was attended by Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, a Shiite Arab; President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd and a militia leader himself; and Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, the leader of the Shiite political party that created the Iranian-trained militia, known as the Badr Organization. The briefing was held in Mr. Hakim's headquarters to mark his militia's second anniversary in the new Iraq and to rebut recent criticisms of the Badr from Sunni leaders.

The joint appearance of Mr. Talabani and the Shiite leaders seemed to indicate that Shiite and Kurdish leaders had reached an understanding that their respective militias should continue to exist....


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/09/international/middleeast/09iraq.html

[htuttle]

10. Looks like Iran won the war without firing a single shot of it's own

According to Sun Tzu, that's the highest form of strategy.

Gotta hand it to them. Getting one of your enemies to take out one of your other enemies for you, then getting them to basically hand over the territory to your agents? That's an impressive bit of maneuvering!

[Javaman]

11. Iraq has been renamed: Iran 2