[<< "Four bodies found in Baghdad"] [Archive Index] [>>"Press conference, paraphrased"]
04/13/2004 Archived Entry: "Potential mistake"
Potential mistake
Agonist reports that attacks may have begun in Najaf. This could be a crucial mistake and could up the frenzy level even further.
Najaf is one of Iraq's holiest cities to the Shi'a - and Juan Cole has noted that the Muslim cleric al Sistani has threatened to throw support behind al Sadr if Najaf is attacked.
It makes me wonder whether they're just trying to create further chaos - but I'm stumped as to why they'd want to put every foreigner in Iraq's life in jeopardy.
Replies: 3 people speak up
Lots of reasons. But understand. For them, this "is" a religious war. As such for you it is also a religious war whether you wish to fight about religion or not.
As an aside. I still maintain that the "majority" of people in the Middle East will not tolerate rulers who are not ruthless and cold. It's what makes them sleep soundly at night knowing their borders are being protected by ruthless take no games rulers.
It's cultural. To ignore it is to fail.
Posted by IXLNXS @ 04/13/2004 08:39 PM NY
As un-PC as it may be, I agree with your observation about Middle Easterners sleeping soundly at night with a ruthless ruler, IX. I just read the following in the April 12 2004 issue of The New Yorker this afternoon, from Sy Hersh's article "The Other War"(damn mag got here a WEEK late this time!):
The U.N. worker said that President Karzai was perceived (in Afghanistan, by Afghanis) as "a weak leader with very little street credibility." He told me that, again, and again, when he met with village elders, as part of his work, "The old people say, 'Hamid is a good man. He doesn't kill people. He doesn't steal things. He doesn't sell drugs. How could you possibly think he could be a leader of Afghanistan?'"
ha ha
That's the best joke I've heard all day.
I have trouble reading Sy Hersh these days. I get real depressed after a huge infusion of the horrible truth about the foreign policy disasters ongoing these days. If he's not careful, he's going to win another Pulitzer. He sure as hell deserves one. Later.
Posted by Daddy-O @ 04/13/2004 10:50 PM NY
Stupid italics...grr.
Posted by Daddy-O @ 04/13/2004 10:52 PM NY
