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| Iraq | |||
| In al-Kut: Marine Commander explains reality to Shiite Muslim cleric | |||
| 2003-04-19 | |||
| A U.S. Marine commander called tribal leaders together Saturday to seek their support in running their city but emphasized that he considers himself to be in charge. Patrols of low-flying attack helicopters drove home the point. "When you spittle-spewers have attack helicopters we can talk, until then, I'm in charge, get it?" Kut, about 45 miles west of the Iranian border, has been of particular concern to U.S. officials since a Shiite Muslim cleric occupied city hall and claimed to control the city. They contend he is backed by Iran and has only minority support. And no supply lines, tanks, APC's etc. Iran ain't gonna help you now, get it? U.S. officers had said they planned to force cleric Said Abbas out of City Hall, which has been surrounded by his followers, to deprive him of symbolic standing in the community. Now, the strategy seems to be to ignore and marginalize him. At Saturday's meeting, he was not at the main table but sat toward the rear of the room. at one of those little kid's tables heh heh The city of 380,000 has been relatively calm compared with the pandemonium that has greeted the regime's collapse in other cities. So far, there has been relatively little looting here. Hospitals are still working, and trash is being collected - even though the trash collectors aren't getting paid. The meeting between Gen. Rich Natonski, commander of Task Force Tarawa, and several dozen city leaders took place at a hotel next to a Marine command post. It was held under heavy security and closed to journalists. At the meeting, Natonski said "it may be some time before elections will be able to be held," according to the text of his prepared comments. In the interim, "the government of this province and this city is where I meet with this council," he declared.
Way to ingratiate yourself with the Marines American concern about Kut has grown since the recent arrival of the deputy leader of the Iran-based Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution of Iraq - the largest Iraqi opposition group and one that opposes U.S. plans for a new government.
Uh, no thanks, we don't go in for that golden calf idolatry stuff "The Americans had their say. They want democracy and they will do it," az-Zubaidy said.
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| Posted by:Frank G |
| #2 "Previously, their chants focused on denouncing Ahmad Chalabi. One man held a framed portrait of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeni, the late leader of Iran's Islamic revolution." The shape of politics in the Shiite south is becoming clearer astonishingly quickly - its Chalabi and the INC versus the Iranian supported fundies. The more the fundies focus on Chalabi as the enemy, the more the INC becomes the natural rallying point for any sheik, would be pol, or non-Iranian oriented (EG Sistani and the Khoie family) cleric. This despite an occasional stupid move by the inexperienced INC people (eg the guy who proclaimed himself mayor of Baghdad, or the guy up in Mosul who seems to be working with the Kurds and seems to have pissed off the Sunni Arabs) |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2003-04-19 23:52:42 |
| #1 "Here's a sippy cup and a bib. You sit back there." |
| Posted by: Dar 2003-04-19 14:09:40 |