Muqtada al-Sadr
Bush pre-empts Al-Sadr’s Return
by barra Friday, May 25 2007, 11:56am
international /
imperialism /
commentary
Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr re-appears just two days after Bush’s statement to the American media that next month (we assume June) will be a critical period in the ongoing travesty that is the Iraq occupation. Bush may have finally received some accurate information regarding al-Sadr’s plans to unite with Sunni leaders and hopefully form a unified and powerful front against invading and occupying forces.
In character, al-Sadr delivered a scorching anti-American ‘sermon’ at Friday prayers, attended by approximately 5000 faithful -- a fraction of the militia force that consider al-Sadr leader. Squeezed between the usual scathing rhetoric was an appeal for a unified front with Sunni forces, “I say to our Sunni brothers in Iraq that we are brothers and the occupier shall not divide us. They are welcome and we are ready to co-operate with them in all fields. This is my hand I stretch out to them.”
Shia and Sunni leaders may have finally realised that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” but limited, inbred Muslims also tend to paralyse themselves with distrust and suspicion. Unification against a common enemy is supremely sensible but sense and reason is a lost cause with inbred tribalists. Shia representatives also applied pressure on the Iraqi puppet prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, to set a date for the withdrawal of occupation forces. Maliki promised to respond just as soon as he received instructions from Washington!
Iran is no doubt making its move in response to U.S./Israel backed Lebanese army efforts to eliminate militants from neighbouring refugee enclaves. It seems the U.S. is undertaking an undisguised direct effort to eliminate its enemies after the bungled proxy attempt by Olmert, which resulted in the deaths of more Lebanese children than combatants on either side.
June may indeed prove to be a very critical month for all concerned, a unified ‘Iraqi’ force would have little difficulty removing invaders from their homeland. However, the U.S. is loath to surrender its stolen oil, its response would therefore be disproportionate and extremely revealing of the real criminals in the conflict!