Potential Risks Of New Alliance
The formation of a new political alliance across sectarian lines carries with it several risks, most notably the threat of increased violence. Al-Sadr's power comes from his ability to mobilize his militia. The Imam Al-Mahdi Army was behind two uprisings against U.S. forces in 2004, and al-Sadr could instigate another confrontation with U.S. forces if feels he is being politically marginalized. Could al-Sadr's isolation spur more violence, as in Al-Najaf in 2004? (AFP)
Also, ostracizing al-Sadr could radicalize him even further, and free him to unleash his militia on the Sunni Arabs, which in turn could lead to reprisal attacks and a steep rise in sectarian violence. If SCIRI leader Abd al-Aziz al-Hakim and al-Maliki move to exclude al-Sadr from the Shi'ite United Iraqi Alliance, it could also force Iraq's top Shi'ite religious authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, to intervene and stress the importance of Shi'ite unity above all else.
For Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, the leader of the Iraqi Islamic Party, a coalition with SCIRI and the Kurdish Alliance could alienate the other members of the main Sunni bloc, the Iraqi Accordance Front. The Iraqi People's Conference and the National Dialogue Council, the other two main components of the front, have so far not been involved in the talks.
Finally, the new alliance could be seen by the more radical Sunni elements in the insurgency as a vehicle for pushing through Shi'ite and Kurdish demands concerning federalism, a concept that many Sunnis fear will enable the breakup of Iraq.
USA Today
Iraqi VP says Bush wants coalition to counter al-Sadr (click on)
By Barbara Slavin, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration is pressing Iraqi politicians to form a government to reduce the power of Muqtada al-Sadr, an anti-American cleric whose militia is responsible for much of the sectarian bloodshed in Iraq.
Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, a moderate Sunni, said Thursday that President Bush told him the administration wants Iraqi politicians to form a coalition of "moderate parties." Al-Hashimi met with Bush on Tuesday.
Iraq's governing coalition includes mostly Shiite political parties and has six Cabinet ministers from al-Sadr's faction. A new coalition would reduce or eliminate al-Sadr loyalists and replace them with other Shiites, Kurds and moderate Sunnis, Al-Hashimi said.
Bush is weighing changes to U.S. strategy in Iraq. Military options include boosting the number of American advisers to Iraqi forces and reducing the number of combat brigades.
The administration position is that military operations alone will not solve Iraq's problems. The United States encourages Iraq's government to find a political solution that will bring the country's rival factions together.
THE HIGHLIGHTED TEXT is horse hockey as exampled by the noted text below. They are lies !
Bush is planning a blood bath of Shi'ites; allied with Saddam's former troops. He is coming from the south while the Saddam troops kill from within the city. He is planning genocide against the Shi'ites of the Grand Ayatollah al Sistani which he sees as an Iranian stronghold.
Al Sadr is a political block no different than any other in Iraq. It is powerful, it has it's own capacity to defend it's people and it has the clout to secede from Iraq.
There is a chance that Maliki has no intention of such actions. There is a better chance there will be legitimate peace talks. There is an even better chance the Shi'ites that are now the majority of any Baghdad Police force will maintain control when it comes to power, out from the shadows.
The Baghdad Police have taken a stand with the Unity Government providing them with some protection while the USA cannot contain the sanctioned kidnappings, killings and organized 'shadowed' resistance. There has been vast incidents of 'show of power' by the Baghdad Police. They have control. They do their own thing. The USA military doesn't like it. It is not the nation building Bush and Cheney want. So what. Evidently, the courts are not succeeding in maintaining enough of a presence to solidify a peace and the National Police and Military are struggling to contain crime. There is no war in Iraq. There is crime. The Iraqi National Forces, including Baghdad Police have been exhibiting the behaviors and strength of a shadow government for a long time now.
If Maliki is so certain that the USA is not needed in Baghdad, then that is the location of where most of the war as it exists today. We need not be there.
It is one thing to organize a coalition of political parties to resist a strong majority. It is actually heartening to see small, less influential parties in Iraq coming together to form political parties of cooperation. Maybe someday even just a two or three party system. THAT, I can relate to and admire.
It is quite another to plot to kill them. George Walker Bush and Richard Cheney need to remove their military from Kuwait, Baghdad and from Iraq unless they want to face the World Courts.
I believe Mr. Maliki is capable of bringing about a peace with the Unity Government intact. He needs to do that without mass killings of Shi'ites prepared to lead a nation of their own due to the incompetency of the USA miltiary and Unity Government to date which they invested in heavily in elections and have completely disappointed them.
Richard Cheney, the Neocon of all Neocons is completely insane and he will not get away with this ! If there is bloodshed by the USA military against ONE ethnic group it HAS to be considered genocide of a peoples and the World Courts cannot look the other way.
We don't belong in Iraq.
We never did !
