I no longer have power to save Iraq from civil war, warns Shia leader

[ECH1969]

The most influential moderate Shia leader in Iraq has abandoned attempts to restrain his followers, admitting that there is nothing he can do to prevent the country sliding towards civil war.

"I will not be a political leader any more," he told aides. "I am only happy to receive questions about religious matters."

Hundreds of thousands of people have turned away from al-Sistani to the far more aggressive al-Sadr.

Sir Jeremy Greenstock, Britain's former special representative for Iraq, said the decline in Ayatollah al-Sistani's influence was bad news for Iraq. "It would be a pity if his strong instincts to maintain the unity of Iraq and to forswear violence were removed from influencing the scene," he said.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/09/03/wirq03.xml

[MidwestTransplant]

1. Hog Wash. Bush and Cheney said they weren't even near

a civil war. Who you going to believe?

[neuvocat]

22. The Pentagon, maybe?

I know your post is a bit sarcastic but you just know a freeper will try and pose that question out of sincerity.

[Kagemusha]

2. Not good. Not good at all.

Complete abdication in the face of loss of power due to sectarian violence and the earthquake on the streets.

Mark this day in history.

[ECH1969]

3. The sad thing is Sistani is a man of peace

Sadr is an asshole that will lead Iraq to ruin. But, peace doesn't always win out over violence.

[Kagemusha]

7. It's not like Sadr NEEDS to drive this.

The Shiites have plenty of motivation to hate the Sunnis without him. Sadr even claims he's trying to restrain his followers. Obviously, less than Sistani. And certainly as I see it, only to make the violence simmer rather than boil over in a completely uncontrolled manner.

But Sistani was never gonna be able to keep a lid on this against popular opinion. That's not how religious leadership works for Shiites outside Iran...

[ECH1969]

8. The medium level of violence keeps the US from blowing him up

If he were to go all out the US would kill him. Instead he keeps the violence on simmer and gains more and more followers because of it.

[Boneman]

17. Negative. Sistani is a traitor. Had Sistani sided with the Iraqis instead

of the Bushies, Iraq would be clear of the CoW right now, and those bases in the Green Zone would be dust. When the people finally figure out what Sistani allowed to happen, his head will be on a stick somewhere.

[Kagemusha]

18. I think his intentions were good enough.

Sadly, well, I would point to this situation as Exhibit A for why church and state should be separated for the benefit of both. Sistani never had the temporal power to enforce his views; if he'd tried to achieve that power openly, he'd have burned away his religious authority at an even faster rate. His goals weren't that bad on paper but, staying on the good side of the Americans has only achieved reaping the whirlwind from the inability of the US Army to end the insurgency, and the unwillingness of the US government to allow a stronger Iraqi Shiite government not beholden to Iran (read: not favoring Hakim/Badr Brigade over Sadr/Mahdi Army). So all the corruption, none of the rewards - because there aren't any.

Sistani didn't want this outcome. He just couldn't prevent it, and he was never going to be able to, frankly.

[Boneman]

20. Yes, I agree with that. Iraq heading for partition now, but a lot of

blood will be spilled between then and now. I wouldn't be surprised if the southern oil wells are bombed into uselessness.

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

4. Remember Fallujah and the WH Micromanagement

Hence, we Still! have Sadr to get rid of. Just how many Marines died in that battle? FU gwb and your minions too. StupidFuckenAssholesAll.

[bemildred]

5. Amazing. This is very bad news. nt

[bronxiteforever]

6. sad so sad

poor Iraq those poor people-:cry:

[Recursion]

9. If we've lost Sistani, there is no such thing as "Iraq" anymore

Dmesg's psychic prediction: 2 years of civil war, followed by a UN-mandated partition. Not Iran's favored outcome, but it's even worse for us.

[6th Borough]

12. Moreover, he was the driving force for Iraqi elections.

It's easy to forget, considering all of the spin following the elections in Iraq, that there weren't any elections planned whatsoever before Al-Sistani began demanding them.

[Az_lefty]

10. This does not bode well...

Sistani is a moderate, if his followers are rejecting him Civil War is guaranteed.

[alfredo]

11. He might have saved his own life. Sooner or later the

peacemaker has to be eliminated.

[Eurobabe]

13. So meanwhile Bush ignores the fact that Iraq is in Civil War

and keeps our troops in harms way. Oh, I forgot, they are there to guard the oil. What a frickin' maroon.

Bring the damn troops home NOW!!

[arewenotdemo]

14. "I'll be more than happy to receive questions about religious matters."

Q: What is the judgment for sodomy and lesbianism?

A: Forbidden. Punished, in fact, killed. The people involved should be killed in the worst, most severe way of killing.

So sayeth the Great Peacemaker Sistani.

[Rex]

15. The Bush Cabal love putting people in charge that embrace death

and killing. Civil war? Ha. We'll be lucky if that is all Iraq ends up with. Fucking worthless people run America. WORTHLESS.

[kstewart33]

16. A critical development.

For many months, al-Sistani was the one figure that could maintain order in Iraq. When he gives up, it's over, IMHO.

[Kagemusha]

19. A senior Sistani aide was gunned down too.

This after Maliki visited Sistani to try and well, calm him down, I guess. Someone wanted to send a message to Sistani not to let the mosque gate whack him on the rear end on his way out.

[Coes]

23. indeed, and even the Cons know that

AMIDST ALL THE WRANGLING over our troubles in Iraq, on one point there is surprising consensus: Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the pro-democracy Shiite leader, has been an indispensable anchor for Iraq's fissiparous political system.

this is a quote from the WeeklyStandard none the less, may of this year.

If Sistani goes, Iraq goes.

[ShortnFiery]

21. No worries! The * Cabal will NOT let the Commanders ever use the term ...

Civil War ... although that's EXACTLY what's been going on the whole damn summer. :grr:

[Born Free]

24. Civil War,

The world will remember who was responsible for the civil war in Iraq, like it or not the bush coward was the man that made the final decision to invade Iraq - the responsibilty lies on his shoulders for all mankind to see