Hundreds of Thousands of Shiites Iraqi Shiites Chant 'Death to Israel'

[MtnGoat]

Hundreds of Thousands of Shiites March in Baghdad for Pro-Hezbollah Rally

By MURTADA FARAJ AP

BAGHDAD, Iraq Aug 4, 2006 (AP)— Hundreds of thousands of Shiites chanting "Death to Israel" and "Death to America" marched through the streets of Baghdad's biggest Shiite district Friday in a show of support for Hezbollah militants battling Israeli troops in Lebanon.

No violence was reported during the rally in the Sadr City neighborhood. But at least 35 people were killed elsewhere in Iraq, many of them in a car bombing and gunbattle in the northern city of Mosul.

The demonstration was the biggest in the Middle East in support of Hezbollah since the Israeli army launched an offensive July 12 after a guerrilla raid on northern Israel. The protest was organized by radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose political movement built around the Mahdi Army militia has been modeled after Hezbollah.

Al-Sadr summoned followers from throughout the Shiite heartland of southern Iraq to converge on Baghdad for the rally but he did not attend.

Demonstrators, wearing white burial shrouds symbolizing their willingness to die for Hezbollah, waved the group's yellow banner and chanted slogans in support of its leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, who has attained a cult status in the Arab world for his defiance of Israel.

"Allah, Allah, give victory to Hassan Nasrallah," the crowd chanted.

"Mahdi Army and Hezbollah are one. Let them confront us if they dare," the predominantly male crowd shouted, waving the flags of Hezbollah, Lebanon and Iraq.

Many walked with umbrellas in the searing afternoon sun. Volunteers sprayed them with water.

"I am wearing the shroud and I am ready to meet martyrdom," said Mohammed Khalaf, 35, owner of a clothes shop in the southern city of Amarah.

Al-Sadr followers painted U.S. and Israeli flags on the main road leading to the rally site, and demonstrators stepped on them a gesture of contempt in Iraq. Alongside the painted flags was written: "These are the terrorists."

Protesters set fire to American and Israeli flags, as well as effigies of President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, showing the men with Dracula teeth. "Saddam and Bush, Two Faces of One Coin" was scrawled on Bush's effigy.

[Gypsy]

Originally Posted by MtnGoat

"I am wearing the shroud and I am ready to meet martyrdom," said Mohammed Khalaf, 35, owner of a clothes shop in the southern city of Amarah.

Hopefully we'll help him out in short order.

[MtnGoat]

It really seem like for the past year or two American politics has be playing a big role, as in everything, in the way American military commanders will push for the Iraqi forces to take over responsibility for their country. But with this violent capital, Baghdad has become a more dangerous place. Now with this protest going on in the north of the capital.

Is this one of the reason that Commanders are being forced to call in more American troops to bring the city under control. Why isn't the International Community fill the void for the need of force increase within the city. We all know why that is, it's the American war in the world eyes.

With the increased failure of the Iraqis to halt the increased slide into chaos in Baghdad undercuts the required need for the Iraqi Government to get its Iraqi forces to be trained and equipped to secure their own country, allowing the Americans to go home. We will be there in some way - contractors, peaceforce, whichever.

This week in Washington, Army Gen. John P. Abizaid provided Congress with their bleakest assessment of the sectarian conflict in Iraq. The generals said U.S. forces needed to help stem the cycle of attacks and reprisals between Sunni Arabs and Shiites in Baghdad, a task they said would prevent a significant reduction in the number of American troops this year. So why has in work yet? Why are they calling for more bodies?

To stop the sectarian slide, the United States has decided to double the number of American troops in Baghdad, to about 15,000 from about 7,500. Why, because of the Iraqi force inability to protect the intern Government and country?

See with the increased attacks on the Shiite shrine and the Tic for Tac bombings; each having their own blame line. The last one was blamed on Sunnis and unleashed killings that have displaced more than 130,000 people and attacks by Sunnis and Shiites have claimed the lives of more than 6,000 civilians, according to a United Nations study.

So this goes back to the thread American Foreign Policy in the Middle East.

[NousDefionsDoc]

The libs are in a tizzy. I don't recall the POTUS promising to turn Arabs into supporters of Israel.