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Iraq
Iranian Consulate Attacked in Iraq
2006-06-14
BASRA, Iraq (AP) - About 500 followers of a Shiite cleric attacked the Iranian consulate in the southern Iraqi city of Basra on Wednesday, throwing stones and setting fire to a building in the diplomatic complex. The Iranian Embassy in Baghdad confirmed the attack on its consulate in Basra, but said it had no idea who was behind the violence. It said no casualties were reported.

The crowd was composed of followers of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Hassani and apparently was protesting a program shown on Iranian television that accused him of being an Israeli agent, police Capt. Mushtaq Khazim said.
That would do it, they seem to be a mite sensitive to that sort of thing. Real subtle, those Iranians.
The protesters broke the main gate and threw stones at the building. They also set fire to an annex used as a reception room and destroyed a car belonging to the consulate, according to an Associated Press reporter on the scene. One Iraqi climbed to the building's roof and pulled down the Iranian flag, raising the Iraqi flag in its place.
Hokay young man, come on down, careful now, there's a good lad.
Posted by:Steve White

#8  Maybe, but Iran's influence is probably right now at its peak. I suspect the Iraqis are going to start exerting their own influence to a greater extent going foward. It appears to be dawning on them that they are in fact in charge of their own destiny and not at the mercy of whoever is telling them what to do this week.
Posted by: crosspatch   2006-06-14 17:03  

#7  Follow the money. The Iranian Mullahs are trying to gain control of the Iraq pilgrim cash cow, and also radicalize the Iraqi Shia population. My guess is they're doing a pretty good job on both counts.
Posted by: Seafarious   2006-06-14 13:04  

#6  There's a lot of not so obvious good news in that story. Prior to Iraq's liberation, most Shiite religious schooling was done in Iran where the government had a strangle-hold on the religious indoctrination. Iraq is a much more holy place in Shia Islam and the brand of Shiaism is much less militant there. People are coming to study in Iraqi seminaries now rather than Iranian. Iran is losing its influence over global Shiaism.

In fact, the Shia holy sites in Iraq had more pilgims visiting than went to Mecca. Once Iraq becomes a stable and free country, the influence on Shia Islam there is, I believe, going to serve as a global moderating force that will probably bode well for places such as Lebanon that have large Shiite populations.
Posted by: crosspatch   2006-06-14 13:00  

#5  This could be "good" news....Iraqi Shiites attacking the Iranian consulate (a Shiite nation)? Sometimes, YJCMTSU!
Posted by: BA   2006-06-14 12:41  

#4  First time a mob in Iraq got it right, heh.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2006-06-14 11:43  

#3  ....program shown on Iranian television that accused him of being an Israeli agent....
Well, as long as didn't draw any cartoons of him....
Posted by: GK   2006-06-14 09:30  

#2  Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Hassani One of Sistannis'?
Posted by: 6   2006-06-14 09:01  

#1  It's that whole sowing/reaping thingy again. In the olden days before Iran used the American embassy as a prison, diplomatic buildings were inviolate by international custom. Oh, well.
Posted by: trailing wife   2006-06-14 08:46  

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