Iraqi Shiites Chant 'Death to Israel'

[Herman Munster]

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060804/D8J9LMVG0.html

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Hundreds of thousands of Shiites chanting "Death to Israel" and "Death to America" marched through the streets of Baghdad's biggest Shiite district Friday in a show of support for Hezbollah militants battling Israeli troops in Lebanon.

No violence was reported during the rally in the Sadr City neighborhood. But at least 35 people were killed elsewhere in Iraq, many of them in a car bombing and gunbattle in the northern city of Mosul.

The demonstration was the biggest in the Middle East in support of Hezbollah since the Israeli army launched an offensive July 12 after a guerrilla raid on northern Israel. The protest was organized by radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose political movement built around the Mahdi Army militia has been modeled after Hezbollah.

Al-Sadr summoned followers from throughout the Shiite heartland of southern Iraq to converge on Baghdad for the rally but he did not attend.

[BillZBubb]

1. What a shock!

Shiites angry with the US and Israel! Amazing.

[Pierzin]

2. I just heard that on the Stephanie Miller show!! OMG!

If that doesn't tell our leaders anything, we need real psychiatric help in the White House! Really scary stuff! Wow.

[kurth]

3. OK, Israel, don't forget to bomb BAGHDAD next

Gotta kill those Shiites too.

[cali]

6. In case it escaped your notice

the U.S. has already done a bang up job on Iraq.

[bridgit]

4. don't they ALWAYS...

:shrug: we clearly know what they are against, what do they stand for? world islamic conversion & domination? cause that won't fly either...

[jonnyblitz]

5. GEE, I WONDER WHY?!?!?

:eyes:

[cali]

14. Just to turn thing's around for a sec:

So if crowds of Americans had marched down the Mall after 9/11 chanting 'death to Islam', would you have been as understanding? And don't get me wrong, I don't particularly care about the march in Baghdad, but I think the responses DUers often have are interesting.

[PATRICK]

7. A mob for Al Sadr

Talk about volatile. Chanting one thing doesn't mean the main show in Iraq will not be a concern of this
inflamed group. The imagination boggles. It could even turn toward the Green Zone in a human tidal wave or against Sunni neighborhoods. This isn't an optimal peace demonstration scenario.

[breakaleg]

8. What would you like them to shout as their slogan?

Just because someone saye they want death, unless they have something to back it up, it's just a word. And empty threat. It's like the thought police are making a virtual arrest for these people.

I think people are missing the point. They are announcing thier displeasure with Israel and their support for the Lebanese killed by them.

[malaise]

9. Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

they are supposed to say how great the US and Isreal are and how much they love this version of democracy.

[breakaleg]

10. perhaps they would, if there weren't so many bombs falling from the sky.

[gatorboy]

11. Didn't Saddam have the support of the Sunni?

I find it ironic that it was the Shiite that cooperated more in the beginning with us and now that they've regained power, they've given us a nice bug F.U.

[catmandu57]

12. Welcome to Du Herman, Piersin, Breakaleg

We predicted everything that's happened long ago, it's great to have you guys pick up the load more hands make light work.

[Pierzin]

13. What About the Streets Covered in Flower Petals for US Forces??

Didn't we all hear about how our forces would be greeted with flowers???

What happened to that??? :puke: :puke: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: