Apr 12 2007
Muslim Civil War Intensifies In Iraq
A bombing inside the Iraqi Parliament today is a wake up call to every Muslim in the Middle East. The bold move shows al Qaeda and the other Islamo Fascists will go to any ends to destroy moderates and democratic institutions. This is what every government from the local city counsel to the heads of state can look forward to if the US coalition fails in Iraq:
A bomb has exploded inside the Iraqi parliament building, causing several casualties according to reports from Baghdad.
Parliamentary officials and witnesses said that an explosion occurred in the restaurant of the parliament building, which sits inside the heavily protected Green Zone and is one of the most secure buildings in the city.
A Reuters reporter said that the blast happened as MPs and their staff were having lunch between sessions. An attacker would have to bypass several checkpoints inside and outside the building to bring an explosive device into the convention centre which houses the legislative chamber and offices.
I am laying odds this was done by an ally of Muqtada al-Sadr, the radical Shiite leader who is in hiding in Iran with his puppet masters the Mad Mullahs. Sadr is playing a really dangerous game and the only one who is feeling new pressure from The Surge. Sadr loyalists have been found in high places of government before running death squads aimed at government officials. So I would say this desperation move is coming from Sadr’s panicking over his power base being eliminated.
But the overall dynamics of the civil war now beginning in the Arab/Muslim streets (ther Persian/Muslim streets in Iran seem to still be waiting on something) is changing. The support base for al Qaeda and their ilk might be shrinking, and anyone who does not want King Bin Laden to be have bloody and deadly rule over their people will sit up and notice the implications of this attack on their grasp on power. From Egypt to Jordand to Saudi Arabia this is a huge wake up call.
And this is not the first or last signal of the changes sweeping the region. There is a hopeful article in Der Speigel regarding the efforts by Muslim moderates to save their religion:
Although Qatar, independent since 1971, is everything but a model democracy in the Western sense, it is far more progressive than its neighbors. Its constitution, ratified in 2003, guarantees the right to freedom of opinion, freedom of religion and freedom of assembly, an independent judiciary and equality before the law.
There are no parties in Qatar, and instead of a parliament the emirate has an “Advisory Council” consisting of 35 members appointed by the emir. But since the 1999 municipal elections, women have had the right to vote, a privilege their sisters in neighboring Saudi Arabia couldn’t even dream about. The wife of the emir does not cover her face and eagerly attends conferences on the subjects of improving education and child-rearing or combating illiteracy.
Not perfect by far. But preferrable to what al Qaeda offers and a sign of enormous progress compared to the entire ME. What is striking is wy the liberals want to run away from all this potential to create a model of civil rights in one of the world’s regions nearly devoid of them. Is their BDS that acute they would turn their back on all these opportunities?
I dont see any evidence of “intensification”. In fact, just the opposite. Civilian casualties for April are running about 1/2 the rate for March. And there’s stuff like this:
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/37A1B44F-F804-40C5-BF5E-9699FD1B67E3.htm
Keep in mind that the parliament bombing killed 3 people. That is pretty light casualties as far as Baghdad bombings go and it is going to be harder to repeat it. Al Qaida is doing more spectacular events but they are less effective at killing prople. Both the number of events and number of casualties were down significantly in the first 11 days of April.
More interesting perhaps is the allegations by US Army spokespersons that Iran has been supplying BOTH Sunni insurgents and Shia militia with explosive devices.
Perhaps the Iranians are just concerned with sowing chaos right now – but at some point aren’t they going to have to explain to their Shia constituency in Iraq why Iran is arming Sunnis???
There’s something doesn’t smell right about this story.
Iran really needs to prevent Iraq from becoming regaining their position as the center of Shiite culture as it has historically been except for the period of Saddam’s suppression of it. Southern Iraq is the Shiite holy land with most of the Shiite shrines and historical sites. Iran is afraid that the Iraqi ayatollahs are going to eclipse the Iranian ayatollahs in importance; that ayatollah Sistani’s words will trump Iran’s supreme leader ayatollah Khamenei.
What you are then looking at is a school of Shiite thought that is less anti-American, that does not see us as “the great satan”. It could undermine everything Iran has been trying to do. Having a major shiite figure tolerating a secular government would be directly counter ti Iranian doctrine and in a religious sense would be hard for Iran to counter. So Iran must either dominate Iraqi Shiites or weaken them through constant strife.
Iran is playing both ends against the middle. Old trick. But I doubt if this will work this time. These people have no where to go.
A tough day in Iraq….
This war is a worthy and necessary war. No matter how hard it gets, no matter how trying the circumstances become, no matter what the enemy does to try to break our will to fight, I will not waiver on that. I want us to win this war. I know we can win …
Iraqi Lawmaker: “United Together Against Terrorism”…
From Reuters:The Iraqi parliament met in special session on Friday in a show of defiance after a suicide bombing in the building that deputies said united them in their resolve to fight terrorism. The bombing on Thursday, which killed one…