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The wretched appeasementarian John Quiggin is crowing over the defeat of reason and light in Najaf. Muqtada al-Sadr has negotiated his freedom, an entree to Iraqi politics, and immunity for his outstanding murder warrant. Dammit.

Interestingly, Quiggin cites as "useful" an analysis which agrees entirely with my own position on al-Sadr, namely that he should have been liquidated the instant he got up on his piss-soaked hind legs. Apparently it doesn't matter what line you take; as long as you're scathingly critical of the Bush Administration, you're "useful" to John Quiggin.

Quiggin equally despises the American military, those pointless liberators:

As the pointless bloodbath in Najaf drags on...the biggest losers have been the unfortunate people of Najaf. Dozens have been killed, hundreds wounded and thousands left homeless. From all the reports, they (correctly) place part of the blame of the blame for this on Sadr but even more on the American forces. There have also been hundreds more casualties in other towns where the fighting has spread. All of this because someone in the US command decided that this would be a good time to eliminate Sadr and his militia.

Not every Iraqi blames the US military. Alaa, for example:

Those occupying and desecrating the holy shrine are almost all completely alien to the city and with faces unseen before by the real locals. Some are not even Iraqi and do not even speak the Arabic language. I tell you this is the truth. Vicious aliens, whether foreigners or criminals and thugs from other provinces, have invaded the great Imams’ resting place. Heinous crimes have been perpetrated against the Najaf people including murder, mutilation, kidnapping and arrest of ordinary people policemen and religious leaders; and please note that this was not done by the Americans, or by the IP or the IDC. That is the truth as God is my witness. Just today, a most venerable religious scholar “Sayed Mahdi Al Hakim” who had been a guest in Saddam Prisons for almost 12 years, has been beaten badly and led to un unknown location by a gang belonging to these occupiers of the shrine. They are surrounding all the venerable religious leaders of Najaf and threatening them. Contrary to the rumor that these leaders have left the old city, none has done so, except Al Sistani, who is receiving treatment in London.

While the politicians are maneuvering and uttering diplomatic niceties, the tragedy goes on. The valiant Marines and the IP and ICDC eager to save their city and evict the desecrators of the shrine, are being held in check, when the human and religious duty call for the immediate settling of this affair and ending of this tragedy. Who are the defenders of the faith? Who are the saviors? You may say what you say, but you must know that this great Imam has great favor with the Lord, and whoever comes to his rescue is blessed by heaven. They say the Americans are desecrating the holly place. No and a thousand times no. The Americans are helping the people of Najaf, they are now truly defending the shrine and attacking a murderous gang, attacking the desecrators and coming to the rescue of the holy shrine. Glory and blessings will descend on these valiant fighters, they may not know it but they are going to be blessed and aided by invisible forces. Now I think that the voices of the politicians and cowards should be completely ignored and the great alliance that has been forged between the people of Najaf and their American friends, which is one of most solid than anywhere else in Iraq, should be the basis of one great effort that will clean the town and liberate the shrine of our great Imam. This will raise them high in the eyes of the Lord and the Iraqi people and send the right message to all the terrorists and criminals.

May the mercy of the Lord and his blessings descend upon the Saviors of the Shrine and may his great invisible hand grant them victory and wisdom.

Sorry old boy, it doesn't seem to have worked out. That was a nice chance at democracy you had, there.

I guess we'll have to plan on toppling Al-Sadr's regime sometime, and playing whack-a-mole with nuclear-powered Islamist nutcases until one of them gets lucky and kills us all.

In other news, a fellow by the name of Sebastian Holsclaw has been giving Quiggin hell in the comments, and writes a web log you might enjoy. I've been too busy to play King Of The Mountain with the Timberoids lately, myself. Not that it makes any difference. Anyone who respects Quiggin's thinking is beyond the reach of persuasion.

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