Not Good: Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani Begins issuing fatwas against U.S.-led forces.

[kpete]

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.

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

[w13rd0]

1. If al-Sistanti turns against the US...

...a timely and rapid withrawl would be well-advised. Well, it's well-advised regardless, but if Sistani turns against the US military, it'd best be done post-haste.

[hobbit709]

2. The metabolic byproducts are about to hit the atmospheric impeller blades.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

3. How many of those 18 benchmarks has the Iraqi government met?

I'm talking about those 18 benchmarks for progress that the surge was supposed to bring about. Or are those just old news now?

[stillcool]

8. funny how that 'oil law' hasn't been..

brought up in a long time.

[babylonsister]

4. Didn't Petraeus say all was well? Maybe those sanctions Condi

threatened aren't sitting well with al-Sistani.

[SpiralHawk]

5. "Bring 'em on." - George AWOL Bush

You fool. Shut up, you Connecticut preppy republicon-chickenhawk deserter, you.

Stop sending our sons and daughters in uniform off to be maimed and killed in service to the lie-based republicon oil-profits crusade in the Middle East, while you and VP Dick Five Deferments Cheney sit at home and count your blood money.

[Arctic Dave]

6. Waiting on elections?

If Dems win everything is cool. If mclame wins the poo will fly.

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

7. not good

In 2004 Sistani's word sent millions of people into the streets to protest against the coalition provisional authority.

[xchrom]

9. lol -- this 'surge' is a Grand Fuck-Up.

congress should put a money fatwa on this illegal war and bring the troops home.

[Bozita]

10. Wouldn'tcha love to hear McCain explain all this tomorrow?

He's so good at explaining Iraq already.

He's unsurpassed in his knowledge of the area.