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Born at the Crest of the Empire

Friday, March 31, 2006

This ain't good.

The most influential man in Iraq is no longer taking Bush's calls?

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - A letter from President Bush to Iraq's supreme Shiite spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, was hand-delivered earlier this week but sits unread and untranslated in the top religious figure's office, a key al-Sistani aide told The Associated Press on Thursday.

The aide - who has never allowed use of his name in news reports, citing al-Sistani's refusal to make any public statements himself - said the ayatollah had laid the letter aside and did not ask for a translation because of increasing ``unhappiness'' over what senior Shiite leaders see as American meddling in Iraqi attempts to form their first, permanent post-invasion government.

4 Comments:

  • This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    By Blogger -epm, at 6:06 PM  

  • This administration seems to be incapable of notcrapping in the swimming pool....

    Why do they fear success so much? Is it because to succeed they'd have to listen to the advice of their detractors?

    By Blogger -epm, at 6:09 PM  

  • They avoided Sistani for the entire first year of the occupation. Then neocons turned Muqtada into a hero at Sistani's expense. Then this year they blow up one of the holiest sites in the religion. He wouldn't be able to negotiate with Bush even if he was sympathetic--and it's hard to see how he would be after three years of bungling.

    By Blogger JUSIPER, at 6:50 PM  

  • Yeah, the major change since the mosque bombing is that the US is now conducting operations against the SHia, and in reasponse, they've become mor active militarily.

    I think we're at the point now that the Shia street wants a battle, if not a full war, and any leader that appears to be caving to the US would lose his position and very possibly his life.

    Mike

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 8:33 PM  

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