Antiwar.com Blog

AFP is reporting via Khaleej Times that Sadr supporters demonstrated outside Sistani’s home today.

NAJAF, Iraq – About 200 supporters of radical cleric Moqtada Sadr demonstrated outside the office and residence of Iraq’s most respected Shiite religious leader Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani on Wednesday, chanting “No, no, America, No, no, Israel, No, no, occupation” and “No, no, agents”.

The demonstrators, marching up and down Rasul Street accompanied by several armed men of Sadr’s Mehdi Army militia, also started shouting “We don’t want religious leaders keeping silent and sleeping in air-conditioned rooms”.

I hope Juan Cole or someone equally knowledgeable will comment on this development. I find it difficult to understand. If Ayatollah Sistani is the most important cleric in the Shi’a world, why are these cheeky Sadr supporters able to demonstrate outside his house and yell at him? Wouldn’t this start a street fight with Sistani supporters? Apparently not. And then, as if this isn’t confusing enough, this happened:

On Wednesday, an unidentified official came out of Sistani’s office and said, “Expect all of Iraq to rise tomorrow” in response to Sistani’s call against armed men in the holy cities.

Sistani’s home was fired upon on Monday and the half dozen armed guards visible outside his office Wednesday were on high alert as the demonstration went on.

Some demonstrators carried pictures of Sadr and chanted: “No one can defeat Sadr. We are his foot soldiers.”

Despite Sistani’s call for people not to come to Najaf, Shiite mosques in Baghdad called on Tuesday night for the faithful to go to the holy city to join a demonstration Wednesday against the US-led occupation.

OK, so all Iraq is rising up on Thursday? This is coming from Sistani, after all. And, what’s up with the mosques in Baghdad issuing instructions in direct contrast to Sistani’s instructions of yesterday?

Lawrence of Cyberia posts about the New Palestinian Nabka in progress in Rafah refugee camp.

Today, PM Sharon is dispensing with the “small doses”, and amassing IDF troops at the entrance to Rafah Refugee Camp in preparation for the “one big operation” that will illegally level hundreds of Palestinian homes. The residents of Rafah are currently salvaging what they can, and leaving their homes in preparation for the assault.

Read the rest here, and be sure and click on the map icon to see how much more of Rafah will shortly be ground up under Israeli bulldozers.

Everybody’s talking about the call-up of the Individual Ready Reserve.

And, don’t miss this exciting development.

IRS May Help DOD Find Reservists

From the pacified Far East:

Soldier accused of stabbing S. Korean civilian

By Joseph Giordono, Stars and Stripes

YONGSAN GARRISON, South Korea — At least three U.S. soldiers are under U.S. “control” and five others are being investigated in connection with a series of incidents this weekend in South Korea.

In the most serious case, a 17th Aviation Brigade soldier stationed at Camp Humphreys has been accused of stabbing a South Korean civilian. The soldier will be questioned by South Korean police later this week, officials said.

An 8th Army spokesman confirmed Monday the accused is being held by U.S. military authorities but declined to release the soldier’s name, saying official charges had not yet been filed in the case. South Korean police say they are investigating four other U.S. soldiers and a KATUSA (Korean Augmentees to the U.S. Army) in connection with the alleged stabbing, which they said occurred early Saturday morning on a Seoul street.

The victim remains in a local hospital with serious but nonlife-threatening injuries, South Korean officials said. Officials from 8th Army released a statement offering an apology and promising full cooperation in the investigation.

In a separate incident, South Korean police said they arrested two U.S. soldiers in Uijongbu about midnight Saturday after an altercation with a taxi driver. The soldiers were handed over to U.S. military police, 8th Army officials said, and likely will be questioned by South Korean police later this week.

In a third incident, Uijongbu police said a 2nd Infantry Division soldier was arrested about 3:30 a.m. Sunday and accused of stealing two purses containing about $1,000 from a karaoke parlor. Police officials said they handed over the soldier to U.S. authorities and likely would call him back for questioning later this week. U.S. officials said they had not yet received a report on the incident.

“As always, we continue to educate our soldiers on proper behavior and respect when interacting with our ROK hosts and neighbors,” read the 8th Army statement released after the alleged stabbing incident, “to ensure our servicemembers are respectful and sincere guests of our hosts.”

I just don’t understand why Iraqis don’t want us in their backyard. Now here’s a fraternity prank: Continue reading “More Isolated Incidents”

From the pacified Far East:

Soldier accused of stabbing S. Korean civilian

By Joseph Giordono, Stars and Stripes

YONGSAN GARRISON, South Korea — At least three U.S. soldiers are under U.S. “control” and five others are being investigated in connection with a series of incidents this weekend in South Korea.

In the most serious case, a 17th Aviation Brigade soldier stationed at Camp Humphreys has been accused of stabbing a South Korean civilian. The soldier will be questioned by South Korean police later this week, officials said.

An 8th Army spokesman confirmed Monday the accused is being held by U.S. military authorities but declined to release the soldier’s name, saying official charges had not yet been filed in the case. South Korean police say they are investigating four other U.S. soldiers and a KATUSA (Korean Augmentees to the U.S. Army) in connection with the alleged stabbing, which they said occurred early Saturday morning on a Seoul street.

The victim remains in a local hospital with serious but nonlife-threatening injuries, South Korean officials said. Officials from 8th Army released a statement offering an apology and promising full cooperation in the investigation.

In a separate incident, South Korean police said they arrested two U.S. soldiers in Uijongbu about midnight Saturday after an altercation with a taxi driver. The soldiers were handed over to U.S. military police, 8th Army officials said, and likely will be questioned by South Korean police later this week.

In a third incident, Uijongbu police said a 2nd Infantry Division soldier was arrested about 3:30 a.m. Sunday and accused of stealing two purses containing about $1,000 from a karaoke parlor. Police officials said they handed over the soldier to U.S. authorities and likely would call him back for questioning later this week. U.S. officials said they had not yet received a report on the incident.

“As always, we continue to educate our soldiers on proper behavior and respect when interacting with our ROK hosts and neighbors,” read the 8th Army statement released after the alleged stabbing incident, “to ensure our servicemembers are respectful and sincere guests of our hosts.”

I just don’t understand why Iraqis don’t want us in their backyard. Now here’s a fraternity prank: Continue reading “More Isolated Incidents”

James Taranto links to this AP story, titled “Dukakis Says Kerry Would Bring Truman-Like Style to White House,” under the heading “Look Out, Nagasaki.” Taranto apparently adores Truman, however, which makes this a rather odd little joke.