Shiites Fume Over Bremer Veto Threat

[Donutboy 0]

Shiites fume over Bremer veto threat as violence continues in Iraq

Leaders in Iraq's Shiite community warned top US civilian administrator Paul Bremer against the risk of a crisis should he intervene in the drafting of the country's interim constitution.

On the ground, three Iraqi civilians, including a 10-year-old girl, were killed when a stray US mortar round slammed into the backyard of a home near the main US base in Tikrit, a US soldier said.

US commanders described the firings as a "harassment and interdiction" mission aimed at preventing anti-coalition insurgents from setting up positions in meadows across the Tigris river to attack the base -- one of Saddam Hussein's former palaces.

Shiite leaders reacted angrily to Bremer's threat to use his veto if the US-appointed interim Governing Council proposes a basic law that challenges the spirit of Western-style democracy.

"Islam is the source of law, and so it should be in a Muslim majority country," said Abdel Mahdi al-Karabali, who represents Shiite spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in the holy Shiite city of Karbala, 110 kilometres (70 miles) south of Baghdad.

"The Iraqi people only can veto the legislation and nobody has the right to interfere in our constitution," he told AFP Tuesday.

The Najaf head of the main Shiite party, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), also warned against US intervention in the drafting of the country's legal code.

"I think that if one seeks to impose a solution other than what the Iraqi population wants, it would spark a crisis and none of the parties want this to happen," Sheikh Sadreddin al-Kubbanji said.

But Bremer's spokesman minimised the rift between the provisional authority and the Shiites, stressing that the United States was not challenging the principle of Islam as one of the sources for the country's new legal code.

The Governing Council has been charged with writing the temporary constitution, or fundamental law, that will govern Iraq until national elections are held.

But many observers believe that some council members are pushing to implement Islamic rule in the post-occupation era.

Elsewhere, Iraq's deputy interior minister Ahmed Ibrahim confirmed that five men were arrested over the weekend in connection with the murder last year of Governing Council member Akila al-Hashemi.

The foreign ministry official appointed in July 2003 to the Governing Council was hit by three bullets as she left her Baghdad home on September 20, and she died five days later from her wounds.

And Iraq's trade minister said one of his top civil servants was shot dead outside his home last Wednesday in an apparent political assassination.

Hussein Abdul Fattah, the trade ministry's deputy director general for administration, was shot dead in his car as it pulled out on the street, Ali Allawi told AFP.

The US-led coalition on Tuesday posted a new one million dollar bounty for a shadowy Iraqi insurgent and announced new rewards of 200,000 dollars and 50,000 dollars for the handing over of members of Saddam's regime and "terrorist cells".

The coalition's deputy director of operations, Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, announced a one million dollar reward for Mohammed Yunis, also known as Mohammed al-Ahmad or Karem al-Sabawi, who ranked on the US military's "blacklist" of Iraq's 200 most-wanted personnel from the ousted leader's regime.

A US soldier was reported killed and another wounded when a bomb exploded as their convoy passed on a road in northern Iraq late Monday, the third such incident in less than eight hours.

According to Pentagon figures, attacks by insurgents have claimed the lives of 261 US soldiers since US President George W. Bush declared major combat in Iraq over on May 1.

[War Eagle 96 10]

violence continues in Iraq

If I concentrate, I can actually sense your girlish giddiness when you wrote those words.

Sad.

[DKW 86 7,899]

Shiite Fumes? Man, too many jokes there......

[TitanTiger 21,241]

While it needs to be handled as delicately as possible, I support Bremer doing whatever he needs to do to ensure that Iraq doesn't turn into an radical Islamic-ruled state where the rights of minorities and women are not recognized and protected. Obviously, we can't implement a clone of the American style of government there, nor should we. But some of the key principles of Western democracy/republican government must be in place, even if it has an Islamic/Middle East flavor on some of the details.

[Tiger Al 0]

While it needs to be handled as delicately as possible, I support Bremer doing whatever he needs to do to ensure that Iraq doesn't turn into an radical Islamic-ruled state where the rights of minorities and women are not recognized and protected. Obviously, we can't implement a clone of the American style of government there, nor should we. But some of the key principles of Western democracy/republican government must be in place, even if it has an Islamic/Middle East flavor on some of the details.

I thought you guys hated separation of church and state. Shouldn't they be allowed to acknowledge the God's laws that their country is being built on?

Stirring the pot!

[TitanTiger 21,241]

I agree with the principle that there be no "state religion", ala the Church of England. I don't agree with the interpretation of the establishment clause in the last 40-50 years though. But that's another subject for another time.

All of that is immaterial with regard to Iraq. All I'm saying is that they can have their laws informed by Islam in general. I just don't want to see a government implemented where a radical Wahhabi style Islam comes in and oppresses women and religious minorities for instance. If that's what the Shiites mean by Islamic law, then I feel it is not only imperative that we steer things away from that for the sake of those living there, but I also think it's in the best interest of the US and the world in general.

[DKW 86 7,899]

With all due respect to everyone, lets get a govt in there and get out. Let them decide the way to go. The fighting between the Sunnis and Shiites can then begin in earnest. I have a feeling that they would fight over anything.

[TitanTiger 21,241]

I want to get out as soon as possible too. But there's too much at stake to just walk away and let just any form of gov't take over. We have to do this right.

[Tiger Al 0]

I want to get out as soon as possible too.  But there's too much at stake to just walk away and let just any form of gov't take over.  We have to do this right.

So, what are you going to say in June if Bush doesn't yield on the deadline and (if) there's still a mess in Iraq?

[TitanTiger 21,241]

I'll disagree with him and let him know that via email or phone. Is this a big revelation to you? HEADLINE: BUSH SUPPORTER DOESN'T AGREE WITH EVERY DECISION HE'S EVER MADE ON EVERY ISSUE

[Tiger Al 0]

Is this a big revelation to you?

I'd say more like an epiphany!

[TitanTiger 21,241]

Here's another thing I'd like to see him do differently...if/when Congress sends him a budget that allows gov't to grow more than what he stated in the SOTU speech, break out that veto. Sooner or later, you gotta have the balls to use it.