February 10, 2005
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THURSDAY WHATEVER Before the map of Iraq disappears off the page (see Tuesday) here is a little more info on the current happenings there. This guy is Ayatollah al-Sistani, 75 years old, born in Iran, highest ranking Shia cleric in Iraq. Cheerful-looking dude isn’t he?
Fact: The voting is still up for grabs from the famous election – you think we had voter fraud here! It’s looking like the al-Sistani slate of candidates is ahead but doesn’t have a clear majority – in which case the Kurds might have a hand in determining who gets elected President whenever in the hell that happens.
Fact: To get this far, let’s see oh approximately 1450 Americans have died and almost 11,000 have been wounded with reports of up to 100,000 Iraq civilian deaths (much harder to count) and god knows how many wounded. If you’d like to see the faces of some of the American dead to make them slightly less unreal visit here.
Fact: We had hours, days, and weeks of coverage of the Scott and Lacy Peterson families but basically none of any of the American soldiers’ fathers, brothers, wives, sisters, mothers, children, etc. And
Fact: Bush may not be pleased if the religious Shia faction gains power after all this bloodshed. See excerpt from article in
Power and Interest News Report back in December 2003:Al-Sistani’s disagreement over U.S. plans is causing a serious dilemma for Bush administration policymakers. The difficulty with complying with al-Sistani’s demands is that if Iraq were allowed to follow a thoroughly democratic path, it is likely that the new government would run counter to U.S. interests. On the other hand, al-Sistani is too influential of a figure to ignore. Since he is the religious leader of Iraq’s 15 million Shi’a, he has the ability to completely disrupt civil society by simply calling his religious community to action.
Al-Sistani also has the support of other influential Shi’a leaders in Iraq; in addition to al-Hakim, Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Taqi al-Modaresi, who is based in Karbala, argued on Tuesday that the national assembly should be elected through national elections rather than through regional caucuses. Al-Modaresi gave a strong message to the U.S.-led coalition: “I am concerned about increasing frustration among Iraqis and I am telling everyone that they are a peaceful people. But it will be a different story if they run out of patience. I fear sedition.”
Al-Modaresi’s warning should be heeded. Iraqi Shi’a have largely accepted the U.S.-led occupation thus far. Their acceptance stems from the fact that if Iraq were to have democratic elections, Shi’a leaders would take power simply because of their majority status. If U.S. officials try to avoid this outcome — such as by rejecting al-Sistani’s and other Shi’a leaders’ recent demands — the Shi’a community could quickly resort to violence, fearing a return to political disenfranchisement. Needless to say, if the huge Iraqi Shi’a population were to revolt, it would cause the situation on the ground to deteriorate rapidly for U.S.-led forces.Hmmm, wonder how many families we won’t see on the news today as the killing goes on?
Deep Thought:Isn’t it funny how one minute life can be such a struggle, and the next minute you’re just driving real fast, swerving back and forth across the road?”
Today I am grateful for: Being alive
Guess the Movie: “I am going to destroy your life and eat your soul. And I can’t wait to do that.” Answer: Paparazzi, 2004.
Sistani’s Vision for Democratic Iraq has Cricket but No Chess
by Patrick Cockburn in Baghdad
Cricket is allowed but chess is “absolutely forbidden”. Women may not shake hands with men. Music is permitted but only if it is not for enjoyment. Men cannot pray when wearing earrings.
These are the views of the most powerful man in Iraq. After the US invasion, various American officials and generals believed they occupied this position. They turned out to be wrong. As the election victory of the Shias has confirmed, the most influential figure in Iraq, dressed in tattered gray robe and black turban, is Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. (Rest of article here.)
End of Day: 9:03 pm
+ = That 70′s Show cracks me up.
- = Water bill skyrocketed because of toilet leak must fix tomorrow.
Comments (10)
This war breaks my heart. I believe most Americans don’t care. They close their eyes and ears because it’s not their loved ones who are dying.
Insanity. It is so frustrating that people don’t get it….
I don’t imagine that the Bush administration will accept the winner of the election if he doesn’t think he can work with the new government. What I find most confusing is that there has been hardly a mention of the election now that the “elections” in Iraq are over. It seems to be a forgotten matter now.
Ah today we have yet another side effect of the Bush administrations efforts to make us all safe, North Korea with nukes. North Korea has proven its ability to do pretty much anything to win and now they claim to have nukes. It’s hard to say if they really do, but I would say that since the US has proven that it will do anything to impose its will on other countries I think the motivation to acquire nukes has increased drastically world wide.
It’s too bad that life is not valued above political ideology.
We want a democracy in Iraq every bit as much as we wanted one in South Vietnam. If we could make sure they couldn’t have the goal they wanted (unification) we loved having elections there. Here’s where that ol’ rhetoric meets reality. After all, we wanted Saddam in Iraq twenty years ago too.
I’ve been wondering about what gedion said too. Will our administration be cool with whoever wins the election. I just wish it would be over with and they would come home. Did you hear a bunch more of our Reserves are heading out??
it will never end it changes from generation to generation but its the same fight and its very disheartening
The day that the last American soldier leaves Iraq, assuming that such a day comes, the armed forces of Turkey will invade the Kurd occupied territory of northern Iraq. The Turks have hated the Kurds for centuries. By that time, the Shia will have probably split off from the Sunni middle and establish a theocratic Republic of Iraq. The nasty Sunnies will have to live in whatever is left – probably the triangle of death. As you suggested, the map of the current Iraq will disappear off the maps.
Which all goes to prove that, at least once, George W. Bush did tell the truth – when, during the debates with Al Gore, Bush stated that he was not, in any way, interested in nation building…I guess he just forgot to let us know that he’s more of a deconstruction kind of guy.
What a shame Warren Zevon isn’t here to comment on all the crap flying out of D.C.
I hope that I can get settled in Panama before the shit reall hits the fan, ’cause, by that time, it’ll be too late for lawyers, guns or money to make any difference.
As for al-Sistani, he doesn’t look all that bad if you consider the fact that he had spent two really strenuous decades playing lead guitar in ZZTop prior to his retirement to Iraq. I’m not so sure about the dude’s politics, but he sure can play that Texas boogie…
thank you for keeping us informed….
I’d vote for Smokey, one of your cats.
No fraud there and Cats are much more intelligent.
the whole ordeal just frightens me so much…Sassy