Article

2003-09-05 Iraq

Gunmen open fire on Sunni mosque in Baghdad

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Posted by Rafael 2003-09-05 5:26:52 AM|| || Front Page|| [2 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Someone is trying hard to create Sunni-Shia clashes. Actually to be honest a very effective way to create anarchy. But there are question marks whether everything can be blamed on the al-qaeda, who can guarantee that it is not an ordinary divide and rule tactic quite well known to the British?

Posted by Murat 2003-9-5 5:38:14 AM|| 2003-9-5 5:38:14 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 I'm not saying it was al-qaeda. But this get-out-of-car-then-start-spraying tactic has been seen on an AQ video, the one where they practice kidnapping, or something. Could be that it's become a fashionable way to kill, I guess.

Posted by Rafael 2003-9-5 5:45:39 AM|| 2003-9-5 5:45:39 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 "..who can guarantee that it is not an ordinary divide and rule tactic quite well known to the British?"

Care to elaborate on that, Murat?

Posted by Bulldog 2003-9-5 6:00:48 AM|| 2003-9-5 6:00:48 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 Or some evil plot of the Turks who want to regain control of all Kurdistan and its oiiiiiiiiiiiiiil.

Posted by JFM 2003-9-5 6:06:03 AM|| 2003-9-5 6:06:03 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 Well Buldog I donât think you need info about divide and rule tactics, the British empire used that in excessive ways. I am not saying it is, but there are also no proofs against that it is not a way for the occupying powers to get Iraqis clutched on each others throats instead of resisting occupation.

Posted by Murat 2003-9-5 6:09:30 AM|| 2003-9-5 6:09:30 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 Ratty, if you really believe the British would go about actively trying to inflame sectarian violence in Iraq, when the last thing the coalition want right now is a descent into anarchy and bloodbath, then you must be completely detached from reality. Are you genuinely insane, or just the epitome of "moron"?

Posted by Bulldog 2003-9-5 6:27:35 AM|| 2003-9-5 6:27:35 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 Murat, that won't work. The job is to pacify Iraq, not turn it into another Vietnam or Lebanon. A Shia/Sunni war does not help us in the least, and actually harms our efforts there immensly. We need a peaceful, democratic Iraq, not a series of petty kingdoms at war with each other.

Posted by Ben 2003-9-5 6:30:51 AM|| 2003-9-5 6:30:51 AM|| Front Page Top

#8 Well Buldog, the British have used these tactics abundantly and sometimes also very effectively a success story is âLawrence of Arabiaâ. A short-lived anarchy that undermines the resistance against occupation powers is not that unwelcome to call it insane. It is a very viable instrument that could be used by occupying powers.

Posted by Murat 2003-9-5 7:40:38 AM|| 2003-9-5 7:40:38 AM|| Front Page Top

#9 Divide and conquer is not a new philosophy, Murat, and was used long before the British came along. However, there's a time, and a place, for such strategies, and Iraq, right now, ain't one of them. Iraq is patently not the place for such an approach. You make the mistake of thinking the coalition (or, as you say "occupying powers") are in Iraq as some sort of Imperial venture, out to subjugate the locals and render them powerless. Maybe all you can understand is the principle of power and subjugation when it comes to international affairs, but believe it or not, the coalition want a stable Iraq, not a state of anarchy. I'll say no more here as you're just being stupid.

Posted by Bulldog 2003-9-5 8:29:51 AM|| 2003-9-5 8:29:51 AM|| Front Page Top

#10 Bulldog, you don't have to agree with me, open up any British or American paper to discover they call the forces there occupation troops and the situation 'occupation'.

Posted by Murat 2003-9-5 8:39:32 AM|| 2003-9-5 8:39:32 AM|| Front Page Top

#11 Divide and conquer would make sense...

...if the US wasn't already in charge. The "conquer" part is already finished. Therefore there is no reason to divide.

Idiot.

Posted by Pete Stanley 2003-9-5 8:42:46 AM|| 2003-9-5 8:42:46 AM|| Front Page Top

#12 Please don't call my friend Bulldog an idiot Pete.

Posted by Murat 2003-9-5 8:57:34 AM|| 2003-9-5 8:57:34 AM|| Front Page Top

#13 I personally think that the Saudis are in there with this and the Najaf bombing.

None of the neighboring countries want a viable democracy in Iraq. The Saudi Royal Family in particular would find it difficult. I think the Saudis have ~~encouraged~~ allowed Wahabis to infiltrate into Iraq to stir it up. The Saudi Royal Family is in very tenuous condition right now and a democracy next door is the last thing they want.

Divide and conquer conspiracy theories aside, you always have to take the first step of saying "Who benefits the most from anarchy and failure in Iraq?" The answer is Syria, Iran and the Saudi Royal Family. This is not real hard to connect the dots on.

Not to toot my own horn but a while back, I did predict that Syrian, Iranian and Saudi operatives would be in Iraq to prevent the formation of a viable democracy in Iraq.

Posted by SOG475 2003-9-5 9:11:48 AM|| 2003-9-5 9:11:48 AM|| Front Page Top

#14 Why is it "anarchy" and "chaos" when, what do you know, the people who used to be in charge resist losing power. SHOCKING. QUAGMIRE QUAGMIRE QUAGMIRE. The new catch phrase is "the worst US foreign policy mistake since Vietnam". I've heard it 5 times this week. I'm sorry, we've been there what, six or seven months. All the talk from the left about America having no staying power was absolutely true - about themselves. Six months and it's a complete disaster. Pardon me while I go Puke Like Schroeder (the name of my new band).

Posted by Anonymous 2003-9-5 9:38:48 AM|| 2003-9-5 9:38:48 AM|| Front Page Top

#15 "the British have used these tactics abundantly and sometimes also very effectively a success story is âLawrence of Arabiaâ"

Ah, theres nothing like old resentments - Murat still seems to mourning the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.

Posted by liberalhawk 2003-9-5 10:06:43 AM|| 2003-9-5 10:06:43 AM|| Front Page Top

#16 Murat, please explain how Lawrence Arabia was a good example of divide & conquer. An arguement could be made that it was a 'use and discard' as the British used the Arabs to do the dirty work for them. The Arabs were divided before the British were involved (both against the Turks and against each other). Please elaborate.

Was there really an Arabs and Turkish lovefest prior to Larry of Arabia's intervention?

Posted by Yank 2003-9-5 11:51:03 AM|| 2003-9-5 11:51:03 AM|| Front Page Top

#17 Occupation powers, Murat? You mean like Turkey?

That's the power that was occupying Arabia at the time that all started.

Posted by marlowe 2003-9-5 11:53:14 AM|| [http://www.angelfire.com/ca3/marlowe] 2003-9-5 11:53:14 AM|| Front Page Top

#18 Rafael >> ROTFL Getting out of the car and spraying...I don't think they need a video to come up with that one.

I think it's either a reprisal attack for the bumping off of Ali Babah last week or Saudi/Al-K-duh goons shooting for instability. (no pun intended.)

Posted by Paul 2003-9-5 1:53:44 PM|| 2003-9-5 1:53:44 PM|| Front Page Top

#19 Well they could have stayed inside the car, like an LA-style drive-by shooting. The video that I had in mind is the one that CNN replays once in awhile, where they practice blowing up cardboard bridges, kidnappings, etc. A rather funny video actually. They look more awkward than fearsome.

Posted by Rafael 2003-9-5 4:57:59 PM|| 2003-9-5 4:57:59 PM|| Front Page Top

#20 Rafeal >> Now THAT would require a video presentation. IF you're gonna go "Gangsta" you have to know how to slouch in the seats just the right way and how to hang out the windows. They've already gotten the poor accuracy and killing of innocent bystanders down to a tee. Perhaps they can start on the 3rd or 4th video in the series. "Learn to Gang Banging in just a month."

Yeah, I know the vid you're talking about.

"When Lame Newbie Terrorists Strike!"

I wasn't knocking you Rafael. Just being a wiseass.

Posted by Paul 2003-9-5 6:06:28 PM|| 2003-9-5 6:06:28 PM|| Front Page Top

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