Iraqis flock to Mahdi's Shia army

[newyorican]

A militia of mostly Shia men is growing in response to a call to arms made by a maverick young cleric. Harry de Quetteville in Baghdad reports on Muqtader al-Sadr's army against US occupation.


As evening falls in the poor Shia suburb of Baghdad once known as Saddam City, dozens of volunteers queue under the watchful gaze of a local imam to sign up for the army.

But this is not the new Iraqi army sponsored and approved by the American-led administration. These soldiers will receive no monthly salary of £40. Here, prospective warriors are ready to serve, and die, for nothing.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/08/06/wirq06.xml&sSheet=/news/2003/08/06/ixhome.html

Note: This is *not*, I repeat *not* the "Sunni Triangle". Good morning Saigon.

[northernsoul]

1. chilling

read this part:

"One man came with his five-year-old son to put both their names on the list and we said that his son was too young. The man said, 'No, I am ready to sacrifice him for this army'."

Such is the fervour boiling in this shabby neighbourhood that some may be willing to carry out their boastful threats of self-sacrifice and take an American life too.

We're making enemies faster than we can kill them

[webtrainer]

2. And U.S. forces are getting after their enemies, the Sunni

. . . so the Shia can wait until the Sunni (and invasion forces) are weakened, then declare jihad on the U.S. troops. It will get much worse over there before it gets any better (if it ever does with Rummy and his pack in charge).

[Beacho]

3. Mahdi?

Isn't that the name of the islamic messiah?

[bemildred]

4. Sudan, Khartoum, Kitchener, a hundred years ago, or so.

Dunno why the chose to use the term here, although the original
guy's followers died in droves and accomplished nothing.

[renegade000]

5. *phew*

was worried for a second someone had declared themselves the Mahdi and was gaining credibility enough to form an army...

if that ever happens....not good :scared:

[samsingh]

6. not good for peace

at all