Stay out of our holy city, ayatollah tells US

[modaya]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/04/16/wirq116.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/04/16/ixnewstop.html
Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's senior Shia cleric, warned the United States yesterday against entering the holy city of Najaf in pursuit of Moqtada al-Sadr.



The warning appeared to amount to a demand for America to acknowledge the ayatollah's help in persuading the fiery cleric to quell an uprising across southern Iraq that he instigated last week.

"The ayatollah has told the Shia Iraqi Governing Council members to inform the Americans that Najaf is a red line," said a senior aide. "The Najaf religious establishment is adamant against any US military action in the city."

[Nlighten1]

1. Welcome to DU!

:yourock:

[SoDesuKa]

2. Crafty Clerics

Those Iraqi clerics are pretty clever. They take risks and aren't afraid to make believable threats. I was impressed with al-Sadr and wondered why he seemed to back down. Now I understand.

[Chicago Democrat]

3. Sadr and Sistani need each other

This rebellion has blown open the stupid "basic law" bullshit that the IGC created. Oh whatta difference a day and a terrible news conference makes...All of the sudden Bush is Dennis Kucinich practically, cuttin and a runnin... Now the IGC is outta a job,and today endorsed the UNs "caretaker" governement..Appoint Negroponte and basically turn Iraq into Haiti or something.

The fact the GOPers are pulling dirty tricks leftandright shows their desperation and I smell their fear.. heheheee


Oh Mr Wizard! Getmeouttahere!

Drizzle, Drazzle, Druzzle Drome
Time for this one to come home

[Nihil]

4. My, my, ...

Don't the Iraqis *want* their holy city to be liberated?

Tut, tut, how ungrateful of them ...

Do they not realise that the liberators also need the holiness?

Maybe the Abrams tanks need blessing?
Maybe all of those bullets in the AC-130s need to pay homage to Allah?
Maybe the bulldozers need an inscription from the Koran to ensure their
path is righteous?

Why are the clerics so callous and uncaring that they would prevent
such holy, respectful actions?