|
Robert Fisk On How Iraq Is About to Explode
The famed British correspondent reveals how the so-called Iraqi government controls little in Iraq beyond Baghdad. And we speak with Christian Science Monitor report Scott Balauf who just left Najaf.
In Iraq, Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr has called off his
two-month truce with the US-backed forces and called for a holy
war against the US and other coalition troops. Ahmed Shaybani, a
spokesman for Sadr, said it was the U.S.-backed occupation forces
who broke the truce by entering sacred areas of the holy city
Najaf and damaging the shrine of Imam Ali.
Shaybani told the Washington Post "This is a revolution
against the occupation force until we get independence and
democracy."
Sadr/s call for an uprising marks the biggest challenge yet to
the new unelected Iraqi government.
The fragile truce began to unravel on Sunday when when police
arrested a representative of Sadr in Karbala.
In a statement to followers yesterday Sadr said "Fight the
blasphemous, fight the Americans." Since yesterday, Sadr/s
forces have been fighting US and coalition troops in Najaf, Basra,
Nasiriyah and Baghdad.
Interior Minister Falah Naqib pledged yesterday to find and
arrest Sadr. He said "We will not negotiate. We will fight
these militias. We have power to stop these people, and we/ll kick
them out of the country."
The U.S. has responded to the uprising by bombing portions of
the Sadr City district in Baghad and the holy city of Najaf.
Agence France Press reports at least 50 people have been killed
and another 170 wounded in the fighting.
Meanwhile Iraq/s leading Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali
Sistani, has left the country to seek medical treatment in London.
Sistani has wide influence over the country/s majority Shiites and
has advocated moderation during the U.S. occupation.
We are joined on the phone by Robert Fisk, reporter for the
London Independent. In an article published this week, Fisk
predicted that Iraq was on the edge of explosion.
He writes "watching any Western television station in
Baghdad these days is like tuning in to Planet Mars. Doesn/t Blair
realise that Iraq is about to implode? Doesn/t Bush realise this?
The American-appointed "government" controls only parts
of Baghdad - and even there its ministers and civil servants are
car-bombed and assassinated. Baquba, Samara, Kut, Mahmoudiya,
Hilla, Fallujah, Ramadi, all are outside government authority.
Iyad Allawi, the "Prime Minister," is little more than
mayor of Baghdad. "Some journalists," Blair announces,
"almost want there to be a disaster in Iraq." He doesn/t
get it. The disaster exists now."
- Robert Fisk, foreign correspondent for the
Independent (UK). He recently left Iraq.
- Scott Baldauf, Christian Science Monitor who left
Najaf earlier today. He is the paper"s South Asia bureau
chief.
To purchase an audio or video copy of this entire program, click
here for online ordering or call 1 (800) 881-2359.
Copyright: Democracy Now!
(In accordance with Title 17
U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit
to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational purposes.
Information Clearing House has no affiliation whatsoever with
the originator of this article nor is Information Clearing House
endorsed or sponsored by the originator.) |
