“It seems the U.S. has got what it wants, the acquiescence of Sistani and the active support of SCIRI in rooting out the Mehdi Army. But at what cost to these parties credibility? A . . . friend who has very little understanding of Shia’ Islam approached me today and asked me why Sistani was not saying anything. I didn’t know what to tell him. It’s embarrassing.

Just a couple of months ago it was Sistani who was reaching across sectarian lines, invoking the 1920 rebellion and urging the pan-Iraqi nationalism that you have just written about. He’s pretty much shot that in the ass with his cave in to the Americans. If the majority of the Shia’ population of Iraq chooses to line up behind Sistani and let these atrocities go unanswered, then there will be a civil war, with

nationalists both Shia’ and Sunni attacking those who have chosen to collaborate with what can only be described as a brutal imperialist occupation.

Peace,

“The silence of Sayyid Sistani has become deafening. An historic masjid destroyed, along with neighboring hotels and the better part of a shopping district. One report says that they were stacking bodies in the streets. But no U.S. soldiers killed! One Iraqi who witnessed the carnage said the even Saddam had not used that kind of firepower in Karbala.

“It seems the U.S. has got what it wants, the acquiescence of Sistani and the active support of SCIRI in rooting out the Mehdi Army. But at what cost to these parties credibility? A . . . friend who has very little understanding of Shia’ Islam approached me today and asked me why Sistani was not saying anything. I didn’t know what to tell him. It’s embarrassing.

Just a couple of months ago it was Sistani who was reaching across sectarian lines, invoking the 1920 rebellion and urging the pan-Iraqi nationalism that you have just written about. He’s pretty much shot that in the ass with his cave in to the Americans. If the majority of the Shia’ population of Iraq chooses to line up behind Sistani and let these atrocities go unanswered, then there will be a civil war, with

nationalists both Shia’ and Sunni attacking those who have chosen to collaborate with what can only be described as a brutal imperialist occupation.

Peace,