Radical Evil: Desperation Time For Bush In Iraq

It was dusk in Baghdad, and the faithful had gathered at the al-Mustafa mosque for evening prayers, when the soldiers arrived. What happened next is now a point of debate, but what is beyond doubt is: at least 16 Shia Iraqis are dead, killed before the altar, and the Shia majority now represented by a "democratically elected" government, inclined to work with the American occupation are turning away, leaving the Kurds as America's only friends in Iraq. Like last month's bombing of the Samarra mosque, resting place of the Imam's Ali al-Naqi and Hasan al-Askari, considered "saints" to Shia Islam, Sunday's attack is seen by many in Iraq as a further attempt to provoke a sectarian war between Sunni and Shia muslims. Unlike the Samarra attack, the culprits of which remain unknown, U.S. military sources admit American troops participated in the assault against the al-Mustafa mosque, though they claim their troops were there as "support" for Iraq National Guard forces, who assured them the al-Mustafa mosque was not a mosque at all. Military spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Barry Johnson explains; "In our observation of the place and the activities that were going on, it's difficult for us to consider this a place of prayer. It was not identified by us as a mosque, though we certainly recognized it as a community gathering centre. I think this is frankly a matter of perception." Lt.-Colonel Johnson's perceptions are cloudy on more than the difference between a mosque and a "community gathering centre." In perhaps typical fashion, the U.S. military has offered several, contradictory explanations of events, the latest characterizes the victims of the attack as "sixteen insurgent kidnappers," and the agents of the attack Iraqi's, but Iraq's Interior Minister, Bayan Jabr discounted the American account, going on television to demand a "clear explanation" from the U.S. military. Speaking to al-Arabiya television, a visibly angry Jabr said; "Entering the Mustafa Shiite mosque and killing worshippers was unjustified and a horrible violation from my point of view. Innocent people inside the mosque offering prayer at sunset were killed." Sources from the mosque say 22 religious observers were killed, none armed, or involved with the insurgency. American scholar, Juan Cole, on his website notes, Iraqi's suspicion that the U.S. is trying to foment civil war is spreading, and far from dividing Iraqis along sectarian lines, could prove a uniting factor. The prospect of a reinvigorated resistance including the majority Shia, united against American forces is a nightmare scenario for Bush and his occupation allies. Cole writes: "Some Shiites, according to al-Hayat, are saying that the US is deliberately attempting to provoke a civil war in Iraq. Among their concerns was the US military's announcement that the attack on the Mustafa Husayniyah in Ur was the work of an Iraqi military unit. Which unit? Where? To whom does it report? Is it little more than a death squad? Is it commanded by the Americans? Why didn't the Prime Minister know about this attack, which spilled over on Dawa Party offices? PM Jaafari is a member of the Dawa Party." Today in Iraq saw an upsurge in attacks, with as many as ninety Iraqis killed and injured, and calls from the erstwhile occupation fence-sitters, the powerful Badr Organization, calling for the expulsion of American Ambassador, and Bush insider, Zalmay Khalilzad. [please see original for complete links: http://www.pej.org/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=4429 ] [Proofreader's note: this article was edited for spelling and typos on March 29, 2006]

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