NYT:100,000 March Against U.S. and Israel in Baghdad

[FreeStateDemocrat]

By DAMIEN CAVE and KIRK SEMPLE
Published: August 4, 2006
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 4 — More than 100,000 followers of the Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr marched today to show support for Hezbollah, denouncing Israel and the United States for the violence in Lebanon.

Waving Lebanese flags and posters of Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, the protesters chanted, “No, no, no, Israel, no, no, no, America,’’ challenged Americans to fight them in their neighborhoods, and called on Hezbollah to strike at Tel Aviv.

The fighting in Lebanon has caused a rift between the United States and the Shiite parties that lead Iraq’s new government, which feel a strong solidarity with Hezbollah, also a Shiite group. Mr. Sadr was one of the first to denounce Israel for the conflict, saying last month that “we will not sit by with folded hands before the creep of Zionism.” He also accused the United States of culpability in the bombardments because of its close relationship with Israel.

More recently, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and other leading Shiite figures have strongly condemned Israel for its attacks.

Mr. Sadr’s power has long rested on his ability to mobilize large numbers of Shiite residents of the city’s slums and other cities in the country’s south. Today’s demonstration could be seen as a similar show of force. (cont'd)




http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/04/world/middleeast/04cnd-iraq.html?hp&ex=1154750400&en=2ed2aa2f410efc99&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[democrat_patriot]

1. So, we'll "Leave whenthey want us to leave"?

Right?

[leftchick]

2. make that 250,000

at least...



Thousands of Iraqi Shi'ite men gather for a protest in Baghdad's Sadr City August 4, 2006. Thousands of supporters of radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr massed in Baghdad on Friday to protest against Israel's offensive in Lebanon. REUTERS/Kareem Raheem (IRAQ)

[Clarkie1]

5. Do you have a link for that number? nt

[leftchick]

9. as a matter of fact I do

.

[Clarkie1]

19. Would you be willing to share the link? nt

[orleans]

20. try washington post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/04/AR2006080401013.html

"Though clearly huge, the precise size of the crowd was impossible to determine. Estimates made by organizers ranged from 250,000 to 1 million, but the U.S. military said in a news release that calculations based on pictures taken from unmanned surveillance aircraft put the crowd at 14,000."


of course our military would downplay the numbers--they've been downplaying numbers since we hit iraq! (assholes)

[leftchick]

23. OUR US military???

fudge numbers???? I am Shocked!

[leftchick]

22. no

google it

[mom cat]

8. Good pic! I ... MSM underestimater this one too!

[High Plains]

15. Ha ha. Fox News reported 14,000 marchers.

I flipped to MSNBC and it was 250,000.

[Roy]

17. Still beats CNN, one lady said hundreds n/t

[Benhurst]

3. Looks like Bush has brought them together. What a uniter! NT

[Blaze Diem]

4. And Bush sits in his little Hidey-hole down in Crawford..

Hide out for the rest of your pResidency you little freakin commie!

[Southsideirish]

12. Tee hee. And its gettin' smaller every day. Stuart Little, move over.

"Wee Georgie" is almost microscopic!

[Julius Civitatus]

6. Hearts, minds, etc...

:eyes:

[Supersedeas]

18. the ugly face of freedom???

[cyberpj]

7. Georgie can't leave until his palace (largest embassy ever) is done. nt

[Maven]

10. Did they throw flowers? nt

[shadowknows69]

11. Oh fuk

if this blows up our troops are in real trouble.

[Ghost Dog]

13. Yes. FYI see here, shadow:

http://www.sftt.org/

[Blaze Diem]

14. Nice going GEORGE !!

Who you going to send to fix this sorry mess?
Condi?????

I truely believe it matters not to greedy George Bush & pals, what happens to our US troops. It just doesn't matter in their big fat scheme of things.
What does matter is that they have gotten what they set out to accomplish.
And it was never about the welfare of the USA or anyone else not belonging to his "exclusive" small circle jerk of criminals..

[LisaM]

16. That is such a good point. With all those troops in Iraq

We cannot possibly stay aloof from trying to resolve the conflict in Lebanon; it's mere wishful drooling to think that we can ignore it and not even support a fricking ceasefire.

[Sgent]

21. We have a united Iraq.

Who will tell the US to shove off, and join Iran & Syria in ME politics.

Go Bush!!!!!!!!!!!

/sarcasm