Powerful Iraqi cleric flirting with Shiite militant message

[cyberpj]

Source: Associated Press

Powerful Iraqi cleric flirting with Shiite militant message
By HAMZA HENDAWI and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA,
Associated Press Writers
Thu May 22, 2:48 PM ET

BAGHDAD - Iraq's most influential Shiite cleric has been quietly issuing religious edicts declaring that armed resistance against U.S.-led foreign troops is permissible — a potentially significant shift by a key supporter of the Washington-backed government in Baghdad.

The edicts, or fatwas, by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani suggest he seeks to sharpen his long-held opposition to American troops and counter the populist appeal of his main rivals, firebrand Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and his Mahdi Army militia.

But — unlike al-Sadr's anti-American broadsides — the Iranian-born al-Sistani has displayed extreme caution with anything that could imperil the Shiite-dominated government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

The two met Thursday at the elderly cleric's base in the city of Najaf south of Baghdad.

So far, al-Sistani's fatwas have been limited to a handful of people. They also were issued verbally and in private — rather than a blanket proclamation to the general Shiite population — according to three prominent Shiite officials in regular contact with al-Sistani as well as two followers who received the edicts in Najaf.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080522/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_sistani_s_edicts

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Pertinent Iraq War news released late on a Thursday before a long Holiday weeekend.

[Lautremont]

1. I choose to read only the first four words of that headline and leave it at that.

[ohio2007]

2. If the fatwas were issued verbally and in private ......just how reliable are these "undisclosed"

people "on condition of anonymity "... that alone should raise a flag.


..... So far, al-Sistani's fatwas have been limited to a handful of people....

Well, did they snuff out the chosen few or is that information not permissible?

In the past, al-Sistani has avoided answering even abstract questions on whether fighting the U.S. presence in Iraq is allowed by Islam. Such questions sent to his Web site — which he uses to respond to followers' queries — have been ignored. All visitors to his office who had asked the question received a vague response.


snip
Al-Sistani's new edicts — which did not specifically mention Americans but refer to foreign occupiers — were in response to the question of whether it's permitted to "wage armed resistance," according to the two Shiites who received them.

Al-Sistani's affirmative response also carried a stern warning that "public interest" should not be harmed and every effort must be made to ensure that no harm comes to Iraqis or their property during "acts of resistance," they said.

snip
Disarming the Mahdi Army would — in the views of many Shiites — leave them vulnerable to attacks by armed Sunni factions that are steadily gaining strength after joining the U.S. military fight against al-Qaida.

"Al-Sistani would love Muqtada (al-Sadr) to disappear but he will not break the community by openly going against a popular Shiite cleric,"


SO in other words,what the article states ;

al Sistani backs Maliki who he met with today in Najaf for talks. (an event mookie would have a wet dream about)

He wants a strong Iraqi army presence to replace the US military but doesn't want to see a growing Sunni presence in the army return the country to the ways of Saddam,
and "The subtle shift" he speaks of behind closed doors reflects that of the American majority about downsizing the footprint over the next two years ( ie. subtle hint to Obama )


He doesn't want an Iranian theocracy and if al Sistani gets whacked any time soon, the #2 cleric in Iraq also believe,like al Sistani in a seperation between mosque and state.

jmo
It's show me time.
He wants to see employment increase as you know what they say about idle hands and idle minds.

[leveymg]

4. I like your take on this, right down to the observation that al-Sadr is a life insurance policy for

Sistani.

It seems that everyone's preparing for the inevitable end-game phase to begin in the Iraq war.

Cautiously optimistic.

[freefall]

3. Looks like the latest killings of Iraqi civilians by foreign

occupiers might be pushing al-Sistani over the edge.

[ohio2007]

5. AQ cleric; "Iraqi Muslims who fight against us are Kafir." gets arrested after making the speech !

Al Qaeda cleric states then gets arrested after making speech
khaleejtimesWonder how the Iraqi Sunni take the arrest of an AQ cleric issuing those 'fatwas' against Iraqis ?


Senior member of al-Qaeda in Iraq arrested
(DPA)
25 May 2008

BAGHDAD - A senior member of the al-Qaeda in Iraq group was arrested in the northern Salah-al-Din province, a security official said Sunday, a day after the arrest of seven commanders of the Islamic State of Iraq extremist group in the neighbouring province of Diyala.Police arrested overnight Ali Hussein al-Sanjari, a senior preacher and issuer of religious rulings in the extremist al-Qaeda in Iraq group in Salah al-Din, said Ahmed al-Fahal from the anti-terror unit of the local police.

Al-Sanjari was arrested as he was coming out of the al-Huda mosque at the centre of Tikrit after he gave a sermon to a gathering of young men about rulings on declaring Muslims as Kafir, meaning Muslims who break religious rules and are doomed to hell.

Al-Sanjari, who is from the town of Siniya in Bayji, issued a religious ruling sanctioning the killing of civilians and attacks on Iraqi troops in Salah-al-Din, 180 kilometres north of Baghdad

snip
The Islamic State of Iraq is a Sunni extremist group with close links to the al-Qaeda terror network.

On Saturday, US Ambassador Ryan Crocker told reporters that al- Qaeda Iraq has not been defeated but the network has never been closer to defeat than it is now.

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1407414.php/Senior_member_of_al-Qaeda_in_Iraq_arrested



AQ are considered forein invaders by al-Sistani.