U.S. Battles Shiites in Iraqi Holy City

[0rion]

NAJAF, Iraq (AP) - U.S. tanks and troops rolled back into the center of Najaf and battled with Shiite militants Sunday, reigniting violence in the holy city just as delegates in Baghdad opened a conference meant to be a landmark in the country's movement toward democracy.

The collapse of the cease-fire in Najaf after the failure of negotiations cast a shadow over the National Conference in Baghdad, which gathered 1,000 religious, tribal and political leaders from across Iraq. Some of the delegates threatened to walk out unless the government of Prime Minister Ayad Allawi put an end to the fighting.

US Battle Shiites in Iraqi Holy City

[sattahipdeep]

1. Gonna Do Somethin' Shameful

Why else would they want no witnesses?

http://news.scotsman.com/politics.cfm?id=941632004

[demosincebirth]

2. Is there a city in Iraq that is not "holy?"

What is a holy city?

[Kagemusha]

3. A city with 2 mil graves, a shrine of Mohammad's son in law...

and that can claim to be where the Shiite religion began.

That's a holy city.

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. "What is a holy city?"

Perhaps if more american "patriots" took the time to gain even a fleeting understanding of Islam, the world would be slightly better off.

[demosincebirth]

7. I guess they're all holy, right?

If you know, let us in on the secret.

[The_Casual_Observer]

10. Sounds like the concept of "holy" bothers you

As it probably does the marines who were told to invade the place and kill a lot of people for no particular reason.

[demosincebirth]

12. Nope. Just curious.

[Wednesdays]

16. Aiya! The nerve of them damn Iraqis...

They're claiming every freaking city to be "holy," and so we can't shoot everything we damn well please!

[bemildred]

8. Quite a few.

But you have a five thousand (with a "T") year continuous
record of civilization (at least) there, and it was very important
in the early days of of Islam, so there is indeed a lot of "holy"
stuff there that we are clumsily stomping around in. You might
say that we are barbarians meddling with a civilized place. Novel
idea, isn't it?

[0rion]

9. This is a good way to put things into perspective.....

we are the invaders, invading their land.....it would be like a foreign army coming to the US and fighting a battle with us on Arlington Cemetary.

Good post, bemildred.

[bemildred]

11. Barbarian marauders actually fits rather well.

If you know your history, it fits great.
Genghis Khan would understand what we are up to perfectly,
but he'd think we are incompetent, disorganized, and pussies.
And the Mongols also did a great deal of cultural damage.

[0rion]

13. And inevitably the Chinese built the Great Wall to try and keep them out..

althought this analogy fits with the Palestinian/Israeli issue but, yea I know where you're coming from.

We're trying to force our western culture on their centuries old eastern culture and it just won't work without having alot of people pissed off at us.

[Tight_rope]

4. The Saga continues................n/t

[daleo]

6. Funny how the U.S. is now attacking the people they claimed to be saving

From Saddam Hussein. Bush I incited the Shias to resistance, then turned his back on them, allowing Saddam to massacre them. Bush II invades, deposes Saddam, then massacres the Shia himself. It makes you wonder.

[jdj]

14. Everyone stop, pause, and re-read this headline...

Astounding.


U.S. (that's us)

Battles (that's not liberating their hearts and minds)

Shiites (the ones that were supposedly glad to see us, as opposed to
Sunnis)

In Iraqi Holy City (self-evident)

This headline is grounds for impeachment.

[demgrrrll]

15. It is the Shrine of Ali. If we bomb the Shrine of Ali we have declared

war on Islam not just Iraq. This is so so serious.