[lbo-talk] Re: A Day When Mahdi Army Showed Its Other Side

[Jim Straub]

If it was noticed on the list maybe I missed it, but I was wondering what
the different sides of the Yoshie-Doug debate on political Islam and Sadr
thought of the recent offer by Sadr to the Sunni cleric (from the scholars
association, forget name?) the US wanted arrested.  Sadr made a speech that
got heavy play on al-jazeera, offering to this cleric to oppose his arrest
warrant, on three conditions: that he make a speech saying Sunnis had a duty
to avoid killing Shia (avoid!, not "not kill Shia"--- ie its most important
to fight the occupier, but avoid killing shia in the process), that Sunnis
had a responsibility to rebuild the big shia mosque that had been blown up
earlier this year, and another condition I forget right now.

Point is, this offer by Sadr would seem to bolster Yoshie's assessment of
him.  To offer such conditional support to a Sunni leader in that manner is
not a tactic from a nutbag bent on liquidating the sunni community to
install a shia theocracy.  It sounds more like a guy trying to fashion a
semi-united national resistance to occupation, like Yoshie says.

Now, whatever sadr's character as a leader, this wouldn't necessarily mean
he had adequate control over the militia and the sectarian hatred enough to
stop the sectarian bloodshet and implement his strategy.  But this offer
does seem revelent to the debate.  What do you guys think?
(I am following the argument and can't make up my mind)
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