Family Follows Shiite Cleric into Holy Battle for Iraq

[gottaB]

by Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson

NAJAF, Iraq - Nassir al Asadi is angry that Americans are running his country. He's upset that the police force he works for does nothing to oppose them. And the 35-year-old father has lost patience with the Iraqi holy men of his Shiite Muslim faith who fail to condemn the occupiers.

So when rebel Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadr last July called on Iraqis to join the armed resistance, al Asadi didn't hesitate. Nor did his siblings. They believe that should they be martyrs while in al Sadr's Mahdi Army - named after the Shiite messiah - it would be a ticket to heaven, a far better fate than serving any foreign master on earth.

**

Their weapons hidden as they await orders, the al Asadis are an untapped layer of Mahdi guerrillas who'd pose a far greater threat to U.S. soldiers than the often teenage al Sadr loyalists who patrol the streets of Najaf and Kufa with Kalashnikov rifles and rocket-propelled grenades.

"The Americans promised us freedom, but they lied," Nassir al Asadi said, adding that he doesn't believe the Bush administration will return control of Iraq to its people on June 30 as scheduled. "Since they won't give it, we'll take it by force."

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More....

[izzie]

1. Well he is right as we are just turning over the govt to people we pick

The bases will be built and the US army stays, but we re-name it and call it their govt. If every one in this country can not see that, they can in Iraq and the rest of the Middle East. The rest of what Bush has done in the Middle East is just crazy. A child would see the foolishness of doing this and thinking people would buy it and like it.Just who in this day, likes to be ruled by another country? There are sure no Dem or Rep. So who does in this country? We seem to have a breed in DC that thinks like this only.I think from the start of this country we have made it better as we go and I can not believe we will go back wards to ruling people our selfs when we were born getting rid of over seas rulers. I am going to keep my blinders on and believe that. We just can not give up this way of life to rule other people.We must let others do the same, and rule them selfs.

[0007]

2. Sounds like a story out of the American Revolution

[izzie]

3. Well yar I feel that way.

It is also looking at life with my rose colored glasses but I have to think that way.We have come a long way. When we started only men with property could vote. I could go on but will not. I just think this way.

[gottaB]

4. oh, there was a discussion about imperialism yesterday that I missed

Question for you, izzie. Do you think imperialism is bad for us Americans? Of course I mean imposing empire on other peoples--we already decided that having one imposed upon us was a rotten way to go. But does it follow from our ideals that imperialism is corrupt, wrong, doomed to failure, etc.?

[Gin]

5. Sen. Warner warned Wolfie to change the wording about June 30th.

handover at the most recent hearing...he said it is misleading...and the Iraqi's think they will be in charge...that could be a problem. (finally..Warner says something I agree with)

Based on this article..the general population believes we hand over control on the 30th. It's all smoke and mirrors...and the truth will be obvious in July!

[izzie]

8. Are we not handing it over to our people on the 30th?

Are we not keeping our army there? Have we not build new bases for that army? What can the people of Iraq thing about that?

[izzie]

7. Yes I think it is wrong. But....

As always there is never a black and white answer to that. We forced a constitution on Japan and it has seemed to work for them. We our selfs are still using British laws from our own time under rule by them.I guess you would have to go country by country but as a general thing I do not think people like to be ruled in that way. The British did try it in Iraq and the people did not like it. They did not like not having a say in their own govt. under Saddam. That in itself should point out these people would not be happy with us either. That is just 3 of many that have walked over that country and have not held them in their hands for long. Why can we not see that?

[Just Me]

6. ",...a ticket to heaven,...

,...a far better fate than serving any foreign master on earth,..."

Yup, that about sums it up.

Our insistence upon "controlling" everything (politically, militarily, economically) is creating a lose-lose scenario.

[KansDem]

9. Another example of Bush's "uniting" skills...

...called on Iraqis to join the armed resistance, al Asadi didn't hesitate. Nor did his siblings.

Oh, and for the record:
The Americans Bush promised us freedom, but they he lied

Don't include me in Chimpy's plans! :grr: